Film

Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in New York, plus articles, trailers and more
 

Paheli (2005)

Director: Amol Palekar

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Palekar’s puzzling ‘re-telling’ of a classic Rajasthani folktale is a bit of a mystery. A ghost (Khan) assumes the form of Lachchi’s (Mukherjee) absent husband Kisna (Khan) and they fall in love. Naturally complications ensue when the real hubby returns and finds his virgin bride with child… The film has ‘women’s weepie’ aspirations but Palekar is no Sirk and he has little to say about the folk tradition and its preponderance over everyday Indian life. It is commendable to see A-list Bollywood stars supporting different commercial cinema but this touristy vision of Rajasthani life, filled with not-so-special effects and colourful songs, lacks the dramatic impact to transcend its preposterous plot. Only Bachchan’s customary cameo (temporarily) lifts the spirits.

Author: ASi 2005-06-29 12:07:25

Time Out London Issue 1819: June 29-July 6 2005

  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Cast & crew

Director: Amol Palekar

Producer: Gauri Khan

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Juhi Chawla, Suniel Shetty, Anupam Kher, Dilip Prabhawalkar full cast

Duration: 140 mins

Related articles


Features

Making a name for himself

Making a name for himself

Sin Nombre's Cary Joji Fukunaga learned his lessons well.

To the letter

Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.

Mind over matter

David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.

Fool's gold

Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.

We are the championed

Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."

A history of violence

Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.

True romantic

James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.

Playing in the dark

MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.

Junk bonds

Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.