Vidya Balan reminisces memories from ‘Parineeta’s’ shoot ahead of re-release

Actor Vidya Balan reminisces her debut film “Parineeta” ahead of its August 29 re-release. She recalls working with Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, and late director Pradeep Sarkar, highlighting his unmatched attention to detail and craft on set.

New Delhi: Actor Vidya Balan walked down memory lane and recalled working on her debut film “Parineeta”, which is set to re-release in theatres on August 29.

Helmed by the late director Pradeep Sarkar, the film originally released on June 10, 2005. It also featured Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt alongside Balan and was produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

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It was adapted from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s iconic 1914 Bengali novel.

Balan recalled meeting Khan’s mother and Bollywood star Sharmila Tagore during the shooting of the film.

“I remember during the shoot one day, Sharmila ji came to the set and I was so excited to see her. I absolutely love her. I was over the moon. We both greeted each other like we knew each other, and Saif—I’ll never forget his expression—he turned around and said, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you knew each other.’ And I said, ‘I know her, she doesn’t know me. That moment still makes me smile. Saif’s just got a crazy sense of humour. He’d crack us up with his one-liners, and I love that about him,” she said in a statement.

Speaking of Sarkar, the 46-year-old actor said he was a “foundation of everything” she learnt in her initial years.

“Dada was the foundation of everything I learned in my early years. His attention to detail was unmatched—he could do a hundred takes, not just for performances, but even to get pigeons flying at the right moment or leaves falling outside the window at exactly the right time. He believed there was rhythm in everything.”

She explained the filmmaker always “demanded precision”, which made her learn the importance of balance and detailing.

“Once, I did 28 takes just to get a teardrop timed perfectly to a line in a song. That was the kind of precision he demanded. His guidance taught me to observe, to absorb, and to respect every detail in the craft. Even my hair stylist, Shalaka, who’s been with me for 20 years, learned from Dada the importance of balance and detailing. That was his gift to all of us,” she said.

Set in 1960s Kolkata, the film featured Balan and Khan as childhood friends — Lalita and Shekhar — who gradually fall for each other. Shekhar’s father is eyeing the house of Lalita’s uncle as he hopes to build a hotel there. Lalita comes to know of this plan, but a family friend, Girish, played by Dutt, steps forward to help her. This leads to a major misunderstanding between the two lovers.

“Parineeta” has been restored by Prasad Film Labs.