Pradeep Sarkar’s classic film, Parineeta, hit theatres around 19 years ago, featuring Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan and marking Vidya Balan’s debut in Bollywood. Despite its high budget, the film was a hit at the box office. But do you know that Parineeta has been adapted into the Hindi cinema before?
Originally released in 1953, the old version of Parineeta starred Ashok Kumar and Meena Kumari, whose on-screen romance attracted the audience. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novel, especially because of Meena Kumari’s interpretation of the role of Lalita. The black and white film, distinguished by its memorable songs and storyline continues to be celebrated even today with Ashok Kumar’s music still ruling the playlists.
Both adaptations of Parineeta are based on Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Bengali novel of the same name, published in 1914. The 1953 film was directed by Bimal Roy which featured Meena Kumari as Lalita and Ashok Kumar as Shekhar Rai.
In 2005, director Pradeep Sarkar reintroduced Parineeta to a new generation with fresh faces. Vidya Balan played the role of Lalita but the makers initially considered Aishwarya Rai or Rani Mukherjee. This break marked the beginning of Vidya’s successful career in Bollywood, for which she received the Best Debut Filmfare Award.
Before the film’s release on 10 June 2005, a preview questioned how the film would fare at the box office. Citing comparisons with the 1953 version, the preview pointed out that debutant director Sarkar’s inexperience in filmmaking, debutant Balan’s probable inability to portray Lalita’s character adequately, the appropriate portrayal of the 1960s by contemporary actors and the unimpressive soundtrack by Shantanu Moitra could be obstacles to a successful adaptation.
Parineeta was made on a budget of Rs 16 crore and it remarkably grossed Rs 40 crore, as reported by sacnilk.com, tripling its profits.
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