Parinda

I know.. I know.. everyone has watched this movie and everyone remembers the song 'Tumse Milke' but while watching this video on a talk at Mumbai Film Festival where Anurag Kashyap presented 'Parinda' movie I wanted to watch it again. And so I did. 

Parinda is the story of the underworld in Mumbai. It was probably the only realistic gangster movie of those times... way before Ram Gopal Varma made gansgters look 'cool'.


Jackie Shroff is the elder brother- Kishan who works for Anna- Nana Patekar. Anna has an oil factory which is a front for all his illegal activities- prostitution/murder/drugs etc etc. Kishan is doing all this to give his younger brother Karan played by Anil Kapoor a good life. Karan is unaware about Kishan's dealings since he was sent off to boarding school and then to USA for further studies. When he returns to India, Kishan immediately books him on a flight to Delhi for a new job. But due to turn of events he never goes to Delhi.
Anupam Kher- Prakash and his sister Madhuri Dixit- Paro were childhood friends with Karan and Kishan. Prakash is a cop and after Anna to arrest him so Anna plans to get him killed. They decide to kill him when he is going to meet Karan but Kishan objects. Despite the objection, Prakash is killed and Karan decides to become a witness against Anna. Kishan tries to explain to Karan to stop being foolhardy and in the process almost gets killed by Anna's men. Karan makes a plan where he joins Anna's gang and with the help of the rival gang leader- Musa played by Tom Alter's help starts killing his men. 

After he kills all the 3 guys who killed Prakash, Karan decides to marry Paro and move to a village but Anna finds out and he gets Paro and Karan killed. Kishan takes revenge by burning Anna alive. 

It is a fabulous movie but with no comic relief. Even though I have seen it before and knew Anil Kapoor dies I was on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know what happens next. There are only 2-3 songs which is good because this movie does not need more than a song or two.

Jackie Shroff is perfect as the elder brother... in the first half Anil Kapoor is loud... he is literally screaming his lungs out but I think that was to show the contrast between who he is and who he becomes in the 2nd half. Tom Alter is good too in the short role. Nana Patekar is super awesome. His character has layers and he plays them perfectly. I really miss this guy in today's movies. He has a style of his own which nobody can imitate. I watched 'Welcome' only because of the combination of Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar. 
How great do Madhuri and Anil Kapoor look together? They were the perfect couple in movies. She has little make up making her look very real and beautiful. 

Written, directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Parinda is a must watch. It is not a movie where the gangster is a cool guy. He is a real guy with negatives and positives. I loved this flick. So good... and the song 'Tumse Milke'... I can listen to it over and over and over again.