Retro Review: 'Parinda' redefines underworld

Dadasaheb Phalke's silent Marathi feature film Raja Harishchandra premiered in May, 1913. The countdown to 100 years of Indian cinema begins this year. As part of our celebrations, we start with a series of retro reviews of some of the timeless classics. How would you rate films such as Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam, Pakeezah or Sholay if you saw them today? We hope to revive the familiar nostalgia and fondness for good cinema with these flashback retrospection reviews. We thought Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda would set the tone since the director-producer completed 30 years in the industry in 2012.

Chopra started his journey in filmdom with short films like 'Murder At Monkey Hill' and 'Encounter with Faces'. His first feature film, shot in black-and-white was 'Sazaa-E-Maut' (1981). He is best known for films like 'Parinda', '1942: A Love Story', 'Mission Kashmir', 'Munna Bhai' series, 'Parineeta' and 'Three Idiots'.

Cast: Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Anupam Kher, Madhuri Dixit

A festival showing the films made by producer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra kicked off to a roaring start here with several political and B-town biggies attending the first of its kind retrospective of his movies.
Yogen Shah
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah with Sanjay and Manyata Dutt.
Yogen Shah
LK Advani, Kamla Advani and Sharman Joshi at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Anu Malik, Sharman Joshi and Vidhu Vinod Chopra at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Anu Malik at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Anu Malik with his daughter Anmol at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Anupam Kher at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Chopra with Danny Denzongpa at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Rajkumar Hirani with Chopra and Advani at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Rajkumar Hirani at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Javed Jaffrey at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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The cinematic event is being held at various PVR Cinemas across the nation from March 29 to April 4 to mark Chopra's completion of 30 years in the film industry.
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Manisha Koirala and Chopra at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Manisha Koirala at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Manisha Koirala at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Mukesh Ambani and Anil Kapoor at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Nita Ambani with her son at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
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Chopra with Mukesh and Nita Ambani at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay and Manyata Dutt at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay and Manyata Dutt at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay and Manyata Dutt and Farooq Abdullah at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay and Manyata Dutt and Sharman Joshi at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay and Manyata Dutt at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay Dutt touches Advani's feet at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay and Manyata Dutt with LK Advani at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sharman Joshi Sanjay and Manyata Dutt at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sanjay Dutt and Sharman Joshi at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Sonu Niigam at the PVR Juhu cinema to celebrate '30 years of Striving in Cinema' - A Festival of Vinod Chopra Films'.
Yogen Shah
Chopra started his journey in filmdom with short films like 'Murder At Monkey Hill' and 'Encounter with Faces'.
Yogen Shah
His first feature film, shot in black-and-white was 'Sazaa-E-Maut' (1981).
Yogen Shah
He is best known for films like 'Parinda', '1942: A Love Story', 'Mission Kashmir', 'Munna Bhai' series, 'Parineeta' and 'Three Idiots'.
Yogen Shah
Several stalwarts including BJP leader L K Advani, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, Rajkumar Hirani, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sudhir Mishra, Siram Raghavan, singer Kavita Krishnamurthy were present at the PVR Juhu.
Yogen Shah

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$Retro Review: \'Parinda\' redefines underworld$

Parinda\'s success lies in the fact that it eventually deglamourizes the underworld.

Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

What meaning does the word 'Bombay underworld' hold?

Probably it's a place that we have seen in 'Deewar' or recently in 'Tezaab'. But, here is a film that has the potential to change all your pre-conceived notions about the so called 'Bombay underworld'. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Parinda' is emotional, dark, satirical and scary, all at the same time. It's the insight into the world of crime where the character’s inside terror is more dreaded than the visible terror.

Kishen (Jackie Shroff) works for an underworld don Anna (Nana Patekar) but he wants to keep his brother Karan (Anil Kapoor) away from the world of crime. Actually both the brothers had come to Bombay in their childhood but one of them was forced to take up crime as occupation. Kishen wants Karan to go for higher studies but things get complicated once Karan returns to India. Karan's best friend and his love interest Paro's (Madhuri Dixit) brother Prakash (Anupam Kher) gets killed in front of his eyes but Kishen warns him to not get involved in any clashes with the underworld.

Very soon Karan knows that his own brother works for the underworld and now he decides to come face to face with Anna, the man behind Prakash's murder.

However, the situation doesn't favour the brothers and finally Kishen convinces Karan to leave the city. Anna doesn't believe in letting the enemy go and thus he kills Karan and Paro on their wedding night. Now, Kishen turns against Anna.

The screenplay of the film follows a classic structure where all the primary characters are introduced in the beginning only. Back stories have been given to give the audiences a clear cut character sketch. Anna's back story forms the back bone of the narration. Some characters are introduced to carry the story forward but they don't come across as irrelevant snippets. Be it the beggar Iqbal's character or be it Musa’a role, each character contributes to the story in its own way.

The moral struggle to stand up against your own profession is depicted with precision. One of the powerful moments of 'Parinda' takes place when Kishen tries his best to convince Karan to not go against Anna.

The semi-climax is definitely worth watching when Karan and Paro are murdered on their wedding night. We generally don't see such effective use of parallel cutting in Hindi films.

Acting wise, 'Parinda' belongs to Nana Patekar and Jackie Shroff. Nana as a cynical don has shown the vulnerability of the human mind with ease. He is believable and frightening.

Jackie excels in the climax, right at the time when he was needed to do so. The climax also demonstrates Vidhu Vinod's control over the film. He keeps the undercurrent of terror flowing throughout the film and releases is with full force in the end, that too via actions not dialogue.

The film has some striking metaphors like the use of the song 'Hum honge kamyaab' and the flying birds which go down well with the spectators.

Binod Pradhan's cinematography keeps itself away from the shining side of Bombay and doesn't hesitate in venturing through the muddy, crowded streets. Lighting done in Karan's murder scene is breathtaking.

The editor has done a satisfactory job but some of the scenes seem dragged. For example the conversation between the brothers when Karan returns from America consumes a little more than required time.

The film is not a musical but one song 'Tumse milke' is the pick of the lot. It is melodious and gels well with the story.

'Parinda' is definitely preachy at times but its final message makes it worth watching. Parinda's success lies in the fact that it eventually deglamourizes the underworld. It's a film made with a subtle understanding of the Bombay underworld and the audience will remember it as a different and new take on the world of crime.

'Parinda' deserves 3 out of 5.