This film had high expectations riding on it but in the end like many a Bollywood wanna-be, failed to deliver. Amol Palekar not only acted in many movies but has served as chairperson of various film festivals and juries in India. The principal error he made with this effort is in the casting dept. Wrong choices all over. One can almost imagine how Manoj Bajpai or Atul Kulkarni could play this role very effectively, with all the nuances, subliminal layering and complicated subtexts. Either the director was pressed to again, "sell to the Desi/NRI audience" thereby hiring a star instead of an actor, or if he simply made bad choices. It seems that any minor glitches in the screenplay would've been smoothed over by a really good cast.
Rajasthan is a place known historically for child marriages and young, sometimes widowed brides. That angle, child bride and groom, is missing from this film and could've been played upon. After all, we're talking about a rural, traditional village milieu here set in the desert during medieval times presumably. The central idea has been borrowed from 'The Entity', where the spirit is shown raping a woman. However, we are not quite certain if Paheli is about ghosts and spirits or is a love story, or is about the yearning for an out-of-the-ordinary relationship. The latter can be made into a very convincing plot twist if the writer had so desired. It isn't about plausibility. You don't want/need to know if ghosts can impregnate women. But the film-makers do need to be clear on "what its all about" and thats clearly not the case here. The rural setting, the folksy-mythical backdrop is all fine but the story itself doesn't ring true. Aside from the poor characterization, photography is good and supporting cast are OK. Rani isn't nearly as effective -- not sufficiently de-glamorized.
It is not that you cannot grasp what the director was trying to convey. But the whole package taken together doesn't add up. Shahrusk is simply unconvincing and should stick to his formula melodramas. How can anyone even try to recast him as an actor so late in the game, nor should they try without serious risk of loss. The advice to Bollywood film-makers is very simple -- STICK TO THE POINT. Learn to focus on one thing and one thing alone. It makes for VERY effective story-telling. Sub-plots work ONLY if they propel the plot forward and don't seem like diversions.
That said, its doubtful it will win a nomination at the Academy awards. A suitable choice would've been to send Parineeta, or even Iqbal. The politics of the 'selection' process should be amply clear to all by now.
Rajasthan is a place known historically for child marriages and young, sometimes widowed brides. That angle, child bride and groom, is missing from this film and could've been played upon. After all, we're talking about a rural, traditional village milieu here set in the desert during medieval times presumably. The central idea has been borrowed from 'The Entity', where the spirit is shown raping a woman. However, we are not quite certain if Paheli is about ghosts and spirits or is a love story, or is about the yearning for an out-of-the-ordinary relationship. The latter can be made into a very convincing plot twist if the writer had so desired. It isn't about plausibility. You don't want/need to know if ghosts can impregnate women. But the film-makers do need to be clear on "what its all about" and thats clearly not the case here. The rural setting, the folksy-mythical backdrop is all fine but the story itself doesn't ring true. Aside from the poor characterization, photography is good and supporting cast are OK. Rani isn't nearly as effective -- not sufficiently de-glamorized.
It is not that you cannot grasp what the director was trying to convey. But the whole package taken together doesn't add up. Shahrusk is simply unconvincing and should stick to his formula melodramas. How can anyone even try to recast him as an actor so late in the game, nor should they try without serious risk of loss. The advice to Bollywood film-makers is very simple -- STICK TO THE POINT. Learn to focus on one thing and one thing alone. It makes for VERY effective story-telling. Sub-plots work ONLY if they propel the plot forward and don't seem like diversions.
That said, its doubtful it will win a nomination at the Academy awards. A suitable choice would've been to send Parineeta, or even Iqbal. The politics of the 'selection' process should be amply clear to all by now.