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    « Ek doctor ki maut (1991) | Main | Vanaja (2007) »

    September 24, 2007

    Comments

    queen of the ppcc

    Very good job in contrasting Devdas' and Paheli's aesthetics; you couldn't be more right! The latter is gorgeous, even visually spectacular. And agreed re: SRK's performance. This was actually the first SRK movie I saw, and I think it's spoiled me! Also, that moustache! Yes, please!

    I was quite happy with the ending, though I agree it's not exactly nice. But that's what I enjoyed so much about it: the film eventually sets itself up to be unresolvable. There's no way all three could have been happy. Tragic, and also clever on the storyteller's part.

    Beth

    Such a good movie!

    What did you think of Juhi and Sunil, barely present as they may be?

    Karu

    I so agree with the comments about Devdas and Paheli! I mean the opulence in Devdas put me off so much that after watching a couple of its trailers I promised myself that wouldn't watch that movie if somebody paid me for it!!! (n I hv sort of kept that promise!! I never watched the whole movie in one go...20 maybe!!) But I loved Paheli,the sound and the silence, the magical and the human part everything!!

    JJ

    I too thought SRK performed one of his better roles in this film.

    So i was sho9cked when i saw that on Koffee with Karan it was Karan who asked Shahrukh what was the movie he regretted making the most and he said Paheli. I'm not sure why out of all his movies he chose Paheli. Maybe it was the morality question but considering it got to be India's Oscar Selection for 2005 i think he has done far worse movies *cough* Anjaam *cough*

    carla

    Thanks for the great comments everyone!

    PPCC: "unresolvable" is a nice word for it, and I agree completely - there was just no win-win-win way for that story to end.

    Beth: There's not much to think about them, I think; Suniel especially, who barely had a line. I was distracted by his modern stubbly beard; that and SRK's over-gelled hair seemed odd and inappropriate with the otherwise stylized-traditional costuming.

    Karu: *Devdas* seems to get love-it or hate-it responses. To me it just seems like one misguided directorial choice after another. Other people seem to love it!

    JJ: That's interesting, thanks. I wonder what he was thinking - maybe he was disappointed that he put his production company behind a movie that flopped? It's just one more indication that I am completely out of phase with the guy, I guess - it was the best movie of his I've seen, and the most I've ever liked him, by a long, long, long way.

    Meera

    Hi Carla

    Great review as always!

    Paheli is based on a Sahitya Academy (prestigious and highest literary awared in India) award winning novel. The story highlights the lonely life married women have to face in rural India with their spouses away on work or business.

    I too enjoyed the movie for its visual splendour, costumes with the right attention to detail, music, choreography of songs, SRK, Rani and the puppoet show of course - part of growing up in India!.

    Naserrudin Shah and his wife Ratna Pathak Shah are the background voices for the puppets in the movie.

    Keep the reviews flowing !

    cheers

    Meera

    Daddy's Girl

    Re JJ's comment, I think SRK was disappointed at the reception 'Paheli' received at the box office, not in his own performance - from reading and listening to audience comments at the time, it seemed like a lot of people liked his performance but hated the story of the movie... I remember one viewer saying that SRK was 'utterly wasted' in 'Paheli'... Interesting review Carla, I haven't seen this one... tried to watch it on the plane once, but I fell asleep 20 minutes in - it wasn't the film, it was exhaustion. Will try again someday.

    yves

    Yes... well, all this is true, especially, Carla, the "visual feast" of Paheli. I was somewhat disappointed by the film's intention. What did the director want to do exactly? Not quite clear, it seemed to me. I was also very bored by the camel race bit, and found SRK fine, but to say the truth, not transcendent. But Rani... She was gorgeous. I loved the film for her!
    cheers
    yves

    Akshay Shah


    Fabulous review of a movie that didn't do much for me at all. Amol Palekar wanted to make this movie with a new cast, howver once SRK got involved the dynamics changed. I liked SRK's performance as a NON GHOST here quiet a bit, but the movie fell over for me simply because it was never sure what it wanted to be, the sensibilities of a Amol Palekar and SRK cannot go hand in hand IMO...

    DEVDAS is way too OTT for me, except for the last 40 mins..

    Akshay Shah

    M.M KReem's music is magical..DHEERE CHALNA is just bliss...

    carla

    Yves - I wonder if what you are perceiving as an unclear message is the same thing that Akshay's comment below yours identified as Amol Palekar's sensibility not blending well with Shah Rukh Khan's.

    Akshay - I am interested in that thought. I don't think I've seen any other Amol Palekar films - I've seen him as an actor but not a director - so I don't have a sense for his sensibilities.

    Maajhi

    Akshay, it's "dheere jalna", not 'chalna'.

    dheere jalna zindagi ki lau pe jalna
    Burn slowly on the flame of life.

    Meera

    Hi Carla

    Amol Palekar is a good actor. Pls see some of his earlier movies ie of 1970s. These are the kind of movies you like. These include - Rajnigandha, choti si baat, chitchor, baton baton mein, golmaal (comedy by Hrishikesh Mukerhjee), Gharoanda (The Nest), Apney Paraaye etc.

    Happy Viewing!

    Meera

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