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PARINDA (1989)
Directed By Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Music: R.D. Burman Starring: Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Nana Patekar, Anupam Kher, Tom Alter, Suresh Oberoi Running Time: 143 Minutes
CineRating: 6.5 out of 10
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Vidhu Vinod Chopra's dark and gritty Parinda is often cited as being one of the first Hindi films to deglamorize the Bollywood gangster genre while offering up social critique about the cost of wanton violence on innocent lives as opposed to the genre's usual surplus of cheap thrills and stock good vs. evil characters. Although it lacks the visceral punch of Ram Gopal Varma's subsequent Satya (1998), Parinda's acclaim and influence can no doubt be credited with paving the way for Varma's highly praised film.
In Bombay, Kishen (Jackie Shroff) is an enforcer for a ruthless mob boss named Anna Seth (Nana Patekar), who is currently mired in a feud with opposing gang leader Musa (Tom Alter). Complicating matters is Prakash (Anumpam Kher), a police officer who is cracking down on Anna's illegal operations. Anna wants Prakash eliminated, but Kishen is unable to take on the job because he is reuniting with his brother Karan (Anil Kapoor), who is scheduled to arrive from the U.S. having completed his education there. The happy-go-lucky Karan, who has no idea that his older brother has been supporting him with money earned from a life of crime, is childhood friends with Prakash, and this gives Anna the idea to use him to lure Prakash out in the open where he can be easily dispatched. The plan outrages Kishen, who wants his squeaky clean brother kept free of any mob dealings. As soon as Karan arrives, Kishen tries to spirit him far away, but Karan eludes Kishen's supervision and reunites with Prakash, proudly showing him the engagement ring he plans to bestow on Prakash's sister, Paro (Madhuri Dixit). However, within moments, Prakash is shot down from behind while Karan holds onto him helplessly.
Karan aids the police investigation and angrily confronts his brother after he learns of his underworld connections. Kishen argues that he did it only to support Karan financially so that he could have the peaceful life that Kishen himself has been deprived of. He warns Karan that the mob will take retribution should he continue to cooperate with the authorities. Karan ignores his brother, as he is intent on avenging Prakash's murder and soothing Paro's broken heart. However, when Anna puts out a hit on him, Karan escapes only because his brother takes the bullet. Realizing that he and his wounded brother can never be safe, the demoralized Karan refuses to testify against Prakash's killers, effectively destroying his relationship with Paro. Kishen is elated when his brother informs him that he is taking on a lucrative new job, but is soon enraged when he discovers that Karan has applied for a position with Anna. Unbeknownst to Kishen, Karan has an ulterior motive for getting closer to the gang leader.
Although its tale of brothers in conflict has been compared to On the Waterfront (1954), the latter half of Parinda actually bears more resemblance to Samuel Fuller's classic revenge melodrama Underworld USA (1961), with a few nods to John Woo's paean to brotherhood, A Better Tomorrow (1986). Despite its compelling premise, the film is riddled with too many implausible sequences and brain-dead character behavior for a production that means to be taken this seriously. Not the least of its howlers is the way that Karan, after he and his brother have been targeted by the mob, constantly unlocks the front door of their flat to whomever is knocking without even asking who it is. Chopra milks these scenes for undeniable suspense but, bereft of sufficient logic, they're also quite stupid. Similarly, Karan's transformation from bubbly, law-abiding citizen to crafty mob assassin is too simple, quick and just not credible, despite the intense efforts of Anil Kapoor. This is also one Bollywood film that would have benefitted from the exclusion of any musical numbers, which only serve to derail the story's momentum and distract from the serious tone. Their perfunctory staging (aside from "Sahera Mein Dulha Hoga") doesn't help matters.
Chopra's idea of drama occasionally crosses the line into preachiness, but his ambitious attempts to deconstruct the Hindi gangster film can also be quite enthralling, particularly during the stylish finale, when a sensual scene of lovemaking quickly gives way to the inevitably grim and brutal climax. Both Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor deliver passionate performances (perhaps too passionate at times), and Nana Patekar is edgy and memorably offbeat as the fire-phobic mob boss, but Madhuri Dixit is mostly relegated to looking pretty (which she does quite nicely, thank you). One can forgive Parinda for some of its glaring flaws because it does aim much higher than your average piece of Bollywood fluff, but ultimately the film is perhaps more laudable for what it aspires to be rather than for what it actually achieves.
The Eros widescreen DVD release of Parinda sports a washed-out looking picture, which may or may not have been the director's intention. The film is presented in a aspect ratio of 1.90:1 from its original 2.40:1, causing some noticeable picture loss on the sides of the screen.
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DVD Specs:
Eros DVD
All Regions
Removable English Subs (none for the songs)
No Extras
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