FILM
REVIEW: PAHELI (2005)
Producers:
Gauri Khan
Director: Amol Palekar
Music: M.M. Kreem
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Juhi Chawla,
Suniel Shetty, Anupam Kher
Radio
Sargam Rating: 5.5/10
Bollywood
superstar Shah Rukh Khan has formed a hugely successful pairing with
Rani Mukherji. They have appeared in a variety of blockbusters together,
from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham to Chalte Chalte
and Veer Zaara. Therefore it’s hardly surprising the audience is
expecting something special in their latest film together Paheli, which
also stars the likes of Juhi Chawla, Amitabh Bachchan and Sunil Shetty
in small roles.
In true
fairytale style, Paheli tells the story of Lachchi (Rani Mukherji),
an innocent girl married to Kishen, whose only real interest is making
money. The aspiring businessman leaves home for a five-year business
trip shortly after the wedding night itself, leaving behind a heart-broken
wife. However a ghost (Shah Rukh Khan) has fallen in love with Lachchi’s
beauty and therefore takes the appearance of her absent husband. The
ghost wastes no time in telling Lachchi the truth about his identity
and she wastes no time in accepting their relationship, which eventually
leads to her pregnancy. When the real Kishen finally returns, confusion
understandably abounds until finally a wise old shepherd (Amitabh Bachchan)
devises the three tests to resolve the paheli that has baffled everyone.
The story
of Paheli takes the audience into a pure fantasy world. Director Amol
Palekar truly embraces this imaginative and colourful setting without
making any apologies for tossing realism aside. However his approach
is still expertly restrained. Despite the implausible subject (a married
woman having a sexual affair with a ghost and actually conceiving a
child with the spirit), the film doesn’t go overboard. The treatment
of the story, together with the performances of Shah Rukh Khan and Rani
Mukherji are subtle. Even the use of special effects is discreet and
works well. However the story is too slow, especially in the second
half. The constant supply of songs certainly doesn’t help the narrative.
The music is pleasant enough, but the songs fail to leave a lasting
impression and at least one or two songs could be deleted altogether.
Shah Rukh
Khan tackles a double role once again in Paheli. There’s a definite
improvement in his handling of two simultaneous characters, compared
to the actor’s earlier effort in Mahesh Bhatt’s Duplicate.
His subtle performance is very effective. Rani Mukherji also handles
her role effortlessly, performing the various emotions of the character
with élan. Its little wonder she’s considered one of the
most dependable female performers in Bollywood. Amitabh Bachchan does
very well in his small role. Unfortunately it’s another character
without much prominence and the legendary actor needs to become more
selective. Juhi Chawla and Sunil Shetty, playing husband and wife, are
okay in their special appearances, although they are slightly wasted.
Rajpal Yadav is a scene-stealer once again thanks to his comic ability.
The rest are fine.
Paheli
certainly offers something different to the audience. Bollywood is often
described as ‘escapist entertainment’ and this film undoubtedly
takes the viewer into a whole new world. However the slow pace and overflow
of songs negatively affect the end result.
Reviewed
by: Robeel Haq
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