Those who have persistently complained that nothing new ever emanates from Bollywood will now sigh with relief for there is a new breed of directors taking shape. This budding lot is now set to explore regional literature for stories that can be turned into a wonder on celluloid. 'Pinjar' by debutant director Dr. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi is one such attempt, which nears distinction for many reasons. It is not that 'Pinjar' is a perfect film. In fact, like other films of this genre, this film too has its fair stock of flaws and overdoses of melodrama, but it keeps your interest intact till the end. The film's performers have dared to break the stereotype images and have come out to do a role that is if not very difficult then not stereotype either.
Kudos to writer Amrita Pritam, the lady who put her heart out in the classic novel of the same name 'Pinjar'. Dwivedi says he read the novel in one go and could not sleep the whole night. He decided to make the film and sent a one-page note to lead actor Manoj Bajpai for the role of Rashid. For Manoj, this was a dream come true, as the role of Rashid had been close to his heart right from his college days.
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The result of this meeting of like-minded hearts resulted in this heart-wrenching depiction of the greatest tragedy in this part of the earth Partition of India. The film is set in 1946. The month is August. It was the time when for the first time it looked as if there was no way to divide this country. The story begins with a small and happy family preparing for the marriage of their cute little daughter Puro played by Urmila Matondkar. She is happy until the bad comes calling. He is Rashid (Manoj Bajpai).
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He wants to take revenge on Puro's father (Kulbhushan Kharbanda). Rashid kidnaps Puro and wants to marry her. But Puro manages to escape and only to return back to Rashid because her family disowns a girl who has spent days and nights in the home of a Muslim. Puro accepts her destiny but lives like a Pinjar (skeleton). She has lost all the charm of life. Soon Rashid too realizes as to what he has done to a sweet girl like Puro. And then times come calling for the partition. Hindus flee eastwards. Puro's sister (Isha Koppikar) is lost and her brother pleads Puro to look for her. Rashid sees this as a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Puro. But Puro not only manages to find her sister but also manages her safe release.
What takes place after this forms the climax of the film. The climax of the film too is unusual. It leaves many questions unanswered. These questions keep coming to your mind even after you have left the cinema hall and this the first basic quality of a hit film. Watching this film is no doubt a pleasure for a movie buff. The film has most of the ingredients of a typical Masala film. But somewhere Dr. Dwivedi loses track of the story. There are references that you don't find in the original novel. But if Sanjay Leela Bhansali could send his Devdas to London for study why can't Dwivedi take some other liberties when Puro's sister Rajjo (Isha Koppikar in different role after doing 'Khallas' and 'Kaante' songs) is offered in marriage. But, in a deviation from the book, Ramchand does not agree.
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There are factual mistakes too in the film as it shows Lord Mountbatten being the viceroy of India in 1946. However, despite all these deficiencies, the film is worth every penny spent to watch it. The film has a depiction of our very own sada Punjab in the first half of the film. At the same time, there is an equally disturbing depiction of the post-independence riots. Dr. Dwivedi being a first timer on big screen (if you have not seen him depicting Chanakya, the Kautilya, on small screen you have missed an era of Indian Television) needs improved direction during the over-emotional scenes done by his hero and heroine. Urmila is totally at ease in her role of Puro that is certainly going to bring her many awards and accolades in the coming days, but in some scenes she has gone overboard. Emotions take time to come out on her face. Dwivedi should have avoided some songs too in the first half.
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'Pinjar' boasts of a very brilliant technical team and the best among them is certainly the art director of the film. Not a famous name, but Muneesh Sappel has built a soul for the film on which Dr Dwivedi has created the body of 'Pinjar'. His sets are just excellent. Scenes where one can see worn and torn poster of Mohamed Ali Jinnah shows the kind of research Muneesh has done before creating these sets. Santosh Thudiyal's camera is brilliant as always. On one hand, Thundiyal catches the vibrant moods of festivals in all colors. On the other hand, he grasps with the same dedication to depict the glory and sad moments of the riots. Rekha Chinni Prakash and Bhushan Lakhandari have done good work as choreographers. But what could have been the major attractive point of a film like this, its music, has not lived up to the expectations. Despite the lyricist being veteran Gulzar saheb and the music composer being none other than Uttam Singh (of 'Gadar-Ek Prem Katha' fame), it fails to remain with the audience for a long time. 'Pinjar' is a must-see for those who wait for a good film to come to the theatres all year long. The film is indeed a Diwali treat for them.
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