Parineeta

Sarkar’s adaptation of a famous 1914 Bengali novel, updated here to 1960s Calcutta, is a welcome attempt at serious Bollywood cinema, albeit within the commercial context. Will rich boy Shekhar’s (Khan) love for his lowly neighbour Lolita (Balan) be able to crush (literally) the social wall which divides their households? Unlike 2003’s ‘Devdas’, which was also based on a Chattopadhyay book, this is devoid of the usual excesses of the formula, with a focus on characterisation, mood and period detail to convey fragile relationships. A surprisingly engaging film, and a visual treat.