This movie was the turning point in the fanciful world of Bollywood which had so far kept the remotest possible distance from reality in order to provide a fantasy escape to people amidst poverty and underdevelopment. Bollywood, in this respect had always feared compromising with colors, glycerin, scenic places, superman feats, dances and pomp and pageantry lest the movies would become insipid and turn off the masses.

Parinda dared to break the trend and brought the reel closer to real when Vidhu Vinod Chopra used the cinematography of the hitherto called 'art cinema' in the commercial mass cinema. But Parinda was not all about cinematography, it was a realistic take on the Bombay underworld and life of people in general. So far we had only seen mostly Ajit and Amjad Khan brand of opulent villains incredibly placed in their hi-tech, luxury castles. Parinda showed exactly how a real life gangster lives.

The movie is damn powerful and made such a wonderful blend of romance and violence that it is hard to categorize it into either genre. The characterization is so immaculate that the audience could connect and empathize even with the peripheral characters playing cameos. In a nutshell, the movie has a soul and is powerful enough to linger in the memory for long time.

It was a collective effort where the sensitive direction of V V Chpora was complimented by brilliant and soulful acting performances by master actors (all!) Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Madhuri Dikshit and Nana Patekar. What a dream cast that was! As mentioned before, the movie changed the age old and decadent trends in Bollywood and inspired the new generation filmmakers to stop insulting public intelligence. It set a benchmark for making realistic movies and blending them with drama. Ram Gopal Verma, for one,took the leaf from Parinda when he made Shiva in 1991 and later churned out a plethora of similar movies.

Parinda review :

THE MOST POWERFUL FILM EVER MADE!

Screamed the posters of this film directed by then relatively unknown Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The poster had a huge pigeon with mugshots of its impressive cast comprising Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit and Nana Patekar.

The poster with its tagline attracted me and I walked in to Mahim's Citylight Cinema to catch the first day evening show of Parinda. The movie was supposedly adults only but nobody bothered about checking age proof in those good old days.

As I came out three hours later, the film had engulfed me completely. Just like the flames which engulf Nana in its spellbinding climax. Chopra was right indeed. This was a super powerful film merging realism with popular cinema to create a never before experience.

The story is simple and clichèd if I may call it that. Two brothers grow up on opposite side of law. One becomes a gangster. The other is honest and clean till he gets embroiled in to a crime commited by his brothers boss. The victim is his childhood friend while the perpetrators belong to his brothers company.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's direction was extraordinary with so many standout scenes. The shootout at Kabutarkhana for instance. Or the identification sequence at the police station. And of course, the tragic end to a honeymoon. Every scene registers a solid impact!!

Parinda would be incomplete without RD Burman's melodious score. The songs come as a fresh breather in the otherwise grim narrative. Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit romancing to "Tumse Milke" redefines a love duet. By the way, Madhuri wears the same salwaar kameez throughout the film. Only her dupatta changes perhaps reflecting her modest school teacher character.

Anil is believable as the good guy turning bad due to circumstances. Nana Patekar is outstanding as the main villain Anna who is only afraid of fire. The maniacal twist he lends to his character is truly awesome.

Having said that, Parinda belongs to Jackie Shroff, apun ka Jaggu, who pitches in his career best performance. Note the intensity in his eyes during the climactic scene where he crashes beer bottles in a room without uttering a word. Thats called acting bhiddu!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

My Rating : 8/10

Shocking, violent, brutal and mercilessly evil. Vidhu Vinod Chopra weaves a masterpiece with 'Parinda'.

Must-watch for any Hindi cinema lover.