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Lions of Bengal return once again on celluloid screen. And, this trend started three years back with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's attempt to remake 'Devdas' an adaptation of Sharat Chandra's classic novel of the same name. The trend has moved further. This time, the intention is clear to revive old classics and bridge the gap between the two-generation. It was fifty years back when legendry Ashok Kumar decided to give another novel of Sharat Chandra, 'Parineeta', a classy touch, and present it on silver screen. He made 'Parineeta' with the help of director Bimal Roy and that film is still remembered for its strong portrayal of the lead character by none other than tragic queen Meena Kumari.

Of late, Bollywood has been witnessing a severe drought of new ideas and new stories. So, those who want to quench their thirst for good cinema have got no option but to look into the history and dig out some classic and remake it with new stars. The happy end of the story is that even macho men have started feeling the pressure and have agreed to abide by the new rules of the entertainment world. If V. Shantaram made 'Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani' way back before independence, the trend of biopic films too helped these types of filmmakers to continue their efforts and make substantial cinema. If 'Parineeta' and after that 'Paheli' also made on a literary work by Vijay Dan Jetha succeed, chances are bright that those trying to rake in moolah with sex and shit will learn a lesson from this.

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So, Bhatts and Mallikas of modern cinema will move away giving place to 'Parineeta' or 'Paheli' though in a new pack but with a dash of entertainment. Yes, entertainment because that is the only thing for which millions of people visit cinema halls. 'Parineeta' also sees debut of yet another music video maker Pradeep Sarkar in Hindi cinema. Going by the face value of the film, it can be said for sure that he is miles ahead of people like Ken Ghosh and Anubhav Sinha.

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He gets a good producer in Vidhu Vinod Chopra who, of late, has become the best talent hunter in Bollywood. After giving a big break as a director to his assistant Raj Kumar Hirani in 'Munnabhai MBBS', he brings in another director in Pradeep Sarkar and proves that it is not only Bharat Shah, the maker of 'Devdas', or Sanjay Leela Bhansali to create magic of bhadralok on silver screen.

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'Parineeta' is set in an era when women wore cuffed blouses and men were happy even while dancing during Durga Puja with earthen pots in their mouths. The time is early sixties and the story moves around Lolita (Vidya Balan) who has been living with her relatives since her childhood. Brought up in a typical bhadralok culture, she oozes ethics and etiquettes in her persona wherever she goes. She has a chance encounter with Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan), son of a rich businessman. Both become friends and start sharing every thing in life. They share a bond between them. It is hard to define in words.

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The life moves smoothly, and love blossoms between the two young lovers. Then, an outsider moves in between. He is Girish. He is there to try and test the word love. He remains around as a watcher first. Later, he begins to love Lolita. Meanwhile, intimacy develops between Lolita and Shekhar too. The triangle of the love suddenly has an element of intrigue in it. It leads into greed, deception and misunderstandings. Before any one can understand anything, the cold breezes of love turn into heavy winds of mistrust and malafide intentions.

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'Parineeta' by Pradeep Sarkar had all the elements to become a classic in cinema but the recipe has gone wrong at some places. No doubt, Pradeep has shown tremendous caliber to perform and deliver as a film director in his very first movie. He takes technique as a tool and not as the master as is happening in the films of many young directors. He uses the locations as a canvas and brushes the scenes on them like a painter. But while doing all this and creating an ambience of the early sixties, he loses co- relation with the present.

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali was sharp on this front and that is why he sent Devdas to study in London and not to Kolkata as was in the original novel. Some slight changes in the screenplay would have earned more patronage for the film. Still, the film is high on technique and very melodious on music. However, it lacks in script. Even dialogue department is weak. It is handled by Rekha Nigam (she was the brain behind 'Jeeto Chhappar Phad Ke' show on small screen). Both Sarkar and Chopra have left many loose ends in the film and that would affect its prospects at box office.

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Among actors, first one to be given special mention is none other than Rekha who sizzles on screen even at this age. She provides newcomer Vidya Balan a complex. She is the next best in the film or rather we can say a discovery of the film. Vidya has played her character at ease. Saif Ali Khan shows one more progression as an actor post- 'Hum Tum'. This is his one of the best performances of his career. Sanjay Dutt brings in the required charm for the film. Ninad Kamat and Dia Mirza lend adequate support and Sabyasachi Chakraborty too comes out as a winner. On the whole, 'Parineeta' is a film that will earn its patronage mostly from the mass audience, and that is where the producer-director duo must be aiming to shoot at too. Keep it up!