Paheli

This film is absolutely excellent. The film was well-made. Great script and there was plenty of time to build relationships. Unlike the recent Indian movies that seem to be pointless and fast-paced and songs placed right-left and centre. This film is much better than Devdas. The colours, the songs, the acting, directing, producing and the cinematography are just brilliant. However you should not watch this film if you are a sceptic of folk tales and myths because this story is a Rajasthani folk tale so the people who will find this 'UTTERLY STUPID' are people who hate folktales or hate Bollywood films. This will go in the classics, I hope this gets the international recognition it deserves.

I must give Shahrukh credit for daring to do such an unconventional movie with so many risk factors--it's a fantasy film; the lead actor is a ghost; it is narrated by animated puppets; etc. SRK, unsurprisingly, gave a great performance. Rani and Juhi were also great. Amitabh was fantastic in his brief appearance. Visuals were absolutely stunning! From the bright costumes to the breathtaking sand dunes, every detail of the frame was given lots of attention to bring out the vibrant colors of Rajasthan. Songs were nice and even better were their videos, especially the one during the end credits.

The story is very unconventional, and different audiences will react differently to it. Some may find it humorous, some may find it inappropriate, while others may find it to be just plain weird. What I saw in the film was that the ghost "person"ified a woman's desire, while Rani represented every woman. In the rather traditional and conservative culture of rural and historic Rajasthan, the woman lives in a suffocating atmosphere serving her husband and in-laws. The ghost gave Rani love, respect, passion, devotion, honesty, and commitment in contrast to the real SRK who was working on his accounts and not talking on his nuptial night, only to desert his wife for five years. I thought the fact the lover is a ghost only goes to show that these passionate desires are just dreams that couldn't come true (in that time and place).

A fairy tale set in a time long ago, with ghosts, apparitions, camel races, vibrant and often clashing colors, divine music, innocence and love - what is to not like? Rani is the young innocent bride Lachchi who gets married and starts on a journey to her new home. Shah Rukh is the accounts obsessed ever obedient groom (Kisen) who has to leave right after marriage to go for business to another town far away. The ghost is a bird, a squirrel, an apparition who falls in love with the bride and eventually takes the form of the groom upon his departure. All is well with the new bride and "groom" until the real guy starts to miss his new bride and decides to come home. Confusion reigns, and the riddle as to who is the real Kisen is solved by a shepherd (Amitabh in an understandably over the top acted cameo).

The good - Rani is divine, looks and acts the part with a deftness and light hand. She makes unconventional choices that perhaps account for why the Indian public did not much like Paheli - I cannot give away more. Aadhi Raat jab chand dhale - amazingly performed.

Shah Rukh - times 2 and well done in both forms. One wonders if we take our 5 senses for granted and what it would be like to not have experienced them at all or not in a long time. See the SRK as ghost apparition with the wonder on his face at the first touch from a mother, at the look at the beautiful house, the joy in playing with the children (brothers sisters nephews), to find out. SRK as Kisen who finally realizes that he is missing his wife very much - the most understated sadness ever seen from him.

The costumes are amazing - much has been made of the costumes in Devdas - but this is authentic Rajasthan at its very best and most colorful, the jewelry will make any woman drool! The music is divine - Aaadhi Raat, Dheere Jalna are outstanding numbers.

The bad - well very little in my opinion. Maybe the dance when they find water could be cut, but the movie was pretty short anyway. The camel race was a little over the top, but perhaps okay if you keep the fairy tale genre in mind. Logical flaws - come on, its a fairy tale after all!! Like there is any logic in ghosts and fairies..

I was transported back to my childhood with the story, enchanted by the colors and music and very much enjoyed the portrayals of the ghost/Kisen and Lachchi. Anupam Kher was good as the avaricious father. And of course there was the sublime Juhi - better than I have ever seen her in a cameo as the sad aunt, few words were said, she did it all with her eyes. Please come back Juhi, we miss you!

I came to see Pehali just to see two of my favourite actors displaying their wonderful talents on the screen. At the same token, i wished that the slightly strange storyline wouldn't falter anywhere. It didn't, but really, the film wasn't as good as it looked.

The story is different no doubt, but there wasn't any serious core to it naturally (its about the 'eternal love story' of a ghost!). This kind of prevented me from taking the film seriously.However, a very nice set design and simply superb colours made the film not entirely a joke.

The cast, as expected, was superb. Shah Rukh brought his unique and mature attitude to the screen once again and Rani just looked amazing. Anupum Kher was also excellent and performed the most subtle comic role i have ever seen in Hindi cinema. This was really what made the film enjoyable. The special appearances were also much appreciated; Juhi making a now rare appearance in mainstream films! The music is great, and Shah Rukh is successful in bringing another cinematic surprise to the silver screen. All in all, the film is fun to watch, although I feel 'Parineeta' was much better. But finally, Hindi films are starting to feel more original!

Paheli is an unusual film on the subject of women's rights disguised as a love story. It is basically the story of a young woman, Lachchi (Rani Mukherjee) who is abandoned by her husband Kishan (Shah Rukh Khan) the day after their wedding. A spirit who falls in love with Lachchi on her way home comes to find out that the husband will be away for 5 years and so he takes the form of Kishan and lives with Lachchi for the next four years. Eventually, of course, the husband returns and Lachchi must choose between the two. How the story is resolved answers the 'paheli' (riddle) of the film.

The film works well for several reasons: acting on the parts of all principal players is quite good, the visuals and cinematography is breathtaking and the theme is quite unusual, especially for a Bollywood film. It does have its drawbacks, though: there are at least two too many songs, and the film ultimately becomes the ghost's story when it should have been Lachchi's.

Shah Rukh Khan delivers his most restrained, understated and likable performance in years; it is because of this performance that he still qualifies as one of India's quality actors. Rani Mukherjee is also sufficiently restrained (unlike her overacted performance in the overblown 'Black' or the overstretched attempts at humor in 'Bunty Aur Bubli'). She gives Lachchi a likable innocence without overdoing the vulnerability part. It is the kind of part one would expect an actress of Tabu's calibre to play.

Anupam Kher and Rajpal Yadav play their parts with gusto. Amitabh Bachchan as the wandering shepherd milks his 5 minute cameo for all it's worth. Sunil Shetty, with all of two lines, is utterly wasted.

It is Juhi Chawla, however, who delivers the most dignified and poignant portrayal in 'Paheli': even in moments when she has very little or no dialogue, her silently suffering Gajrobai speaks volumes through wary visages and a body language that speaks of years of defeat. I kept hoping to see more of her throughout the film, and though she is definitely there, it's not enough. Her story is far more heartbreaking than Lachchi's and deserved more attention. Juhi has become a perfectionist as an actress: the forbidding longing on her face as she watches Lachchi leave for ritual prayers, or her sheer disbelief at the return of the husband who abandoned her is award-worthy acting. Everyone's favorite giggling heroine has emerged into a tour de force dramatic talent. Believe it or not, she *is* the new Shabana Azmi. If Bollywood has any sense at all, films will be made just so she can act in them.

Paheli is a likable, unusual film. Watch it for Shah Rukh (who is mercifully restrained), watch it for the story (which is unusual and relevant), but most of all watch it for the few fleeting moments of Juhi Chawla's revelatory brilliance.