Lafangey Parindey Movie Reviews

The film has some truly engaging moments and most of them are in its first hour. Sequences between Neil and Deepika after the accident are wonderful and keep you hooked. However, things begin to slacken in the post-interval portions, when the love story takes over and Neil and Deepika realize that they share a deeper bond. Just when things are about to go downhill, the climax happens and LAFANGEY PARINDEY is back on track. In fact, the drama in the finale - when Deepika and Neil have to perform the final act for a television show - is the highpoint of this film. The skating sequences and choreography are stunning and awe-inspiring.

It's a familiar world of bhais, boxers and bustee wallahs which Mumbai cinema has created and re-created, time and again that stares at you in Lafangey Parindey. And it's this familiarity of character and script that actually works against Pradeep Sarkar's third love story which comes after Parineeta and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. There is an overriding sense of deja vu that overcomes you as you watch the cliche-ridden script unfold in a predictable fashion, where the rough-edged gangster is involuntarily drawn towards his sweet yet strong victim. And yet, it isn't easy to write off the film completely.

Watching Lafangey Parindey requires you to stop questioning what’s happening on screen after a point. But then, our films are a lot more enjoyable when seen with some suspension of disbelief. Especially, when they are packaged as well as this film is. After a long time, you see a film that has drama, comedy, action, romance, emotions and songs, and that makes Lafangey Parindey a complete package – paisa vasool, if you may. And such a film comes with its drawbacks.

The beauty of the film lies in its simplicity. Sarkar does not get preachy or patronizing in his storytelling in spite of his story being predictable. The portrayal of Mumbai life including the taporigiri showed is not over-the-top. The clothes and even the names of the characters fit the setting. Second half is a bit of a drag but even then the film never loses its grip. High on emotions, the film is more of a drama but comedy and romance too have their prominence in the script.

The publicity machinery had, in the days leading up to the release, let on that the film’s fight sequences and stunts were performed by the lead actors themselves, without the aid of body doubles. Wow! But why would young, promising actors who have their lives and careers ahead of them risk their limbs for a film like this? What are a few bruises on the body if a box office hit is the reward? Lafangey Parindey has the makings of one.

Though Neil’s ring-time lacks tension and pace, and Deepika’s dancing is soulless, both are good otherwise. Blind Deepika is very moving and you begin to care for her. Neil’s performance is nuanced and he gives his character more shades and feelings that perhaps even the writer intended. He is intense and has a high cute quotient. The film’s grunge-rock musical score is fun, but Ne-il’s I’m-a-little-teapot style of dancing is awful.

Lafangey Parindey shows the earnestness with which the director has treated the film. It is not as if he found a new theme and hurriedly made a film on it. It is evident that a lot of thought went into making this film. The director also carefully studied the linguistic peculiarity of the Mahim Wadi where he put his central protagonists and captured it with precision. Secondly, Pinky, the blind danseuse is not any morose character. She is feisty and regret free. and that is something that really touches you. The beginning of the film is good and barring a few minutes, the movie ticks for us. The chemistry between the two actors is also good. The performances are great.

Ultimately Lafangey Parindey, like its attention-grabbing title, is unapologetically superficial with a brief attention span. It doesn't dwell too long on the possible complications or questions that may arise in its protagonist's lives and conveniently wiggles out of/wraps up any uneasy development. Guess the makers can't blame us for reserving similar indifference towards the movie.

The film's premise is interesting but Sarkar fails to take it to a higher level. Although it is about a girl who believes she is the best skater in the world, her acts on the stage are just about good. They needed to be breathtaking. Another problem is that there are too many stereotypes. The mandatory unemployed four friends of the hero, the useless brother, the oversmart kid, Raheem chacha who owns the corner tea shop, the Maharastrian aunty who prays for Pinky and Nandu and many more. The tapori lingo is also overdone. And the characters sound like they're reciting dialogues; they seem uncomfortable and alien to the language. The film especially takes a dip in the second half and the screenplay begins to meander.

Lafangey Parindey' isn't a particularly bad film; it's just not a good film either. It's the kind of film that keeps you waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever does. There's no element of surprise or unpredictability in its screenplay; and as a result even though it's only two hours long, you find yourself exhausted by the time the lights come back on. On the upside, the film has a refreshing soundtrack by R Anandh, and some of the supporting cast makes an impression, particularly Wake Up Sid's Namit Das who plays Nandu's friend Chaddi.

The director on this one sussed out the first set of audience with his last film (Laaga Chunari Mein Daag). He’s forcing himself now to check on the other two. Such scatter-brained, mish-mash of a movie is only possible when the makers' eyeballs are trained at some sucker or the other the cinema's intended for, and not the soul of even a semblance of a script. I’m sorry, but my eyes are turning bleary now. Be careful. So would yours.

Starting with a mouthful of a title, Lafangey Parindey ends up being yet another hackneyed film, with a meandering plot and little originality. Sure, the production design is smart, the dialogues clever and the cinematography sparkling, but the story never takes off and the characters never really connect with each other, or the audience. One shot Nandu (Neil Nitin) is a street fighter who boxes blindfolded for the local satta king, the bald gold-toothed Usman bhai

Star cast: Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh. Plot: Neil knocks down friend Deepika while driving a car rashly a...