Whitech
It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.
Doomtomylo
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Sabah Hensley
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
Sarita Rafferty
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
inagk
A wonderfully romantic film with great actors, beautiful music and fantastic visuals. The chemistry between SRK and Rani Mukherjee is completely convincing. When I first watched this film, I didn't really know what to expect, having read just a very short description. And I fell and love with it. I even managed to find a film poster for my collection. If you like fantasy or fairy tales, this is the film for you. Enjoy!!!!
doozer8688
I hated this movie. It was nice to look at, but was not good for much else. I don't like this story at all. I didn't know beforehand that Lachchi knew the whole time that Ghost-Kishen wasn't her husband. As soon as I realized that, I began to hate this movie. Lachchi had every reason to be depressed that her preoccupied husband left her the day after their wedding, but that does not excuse her decision. The whole thing was not fair to Kishen. He was not a bad person. He did not deserve to have his life taken away from him forever. Ghost-Kishen was mean and selfish, from him ripping up Kishen's letter to him standing silently while Kishen was accused of being a liar. And Lachchi is somewhat of a hypocrite. She's supposedly proper and wears a veil in public, all the while she's sleeping with someone who is not her husband. I'm supposed to be rooting for this couple? Please. I was disgusted with them. At the end, I almost cried for Kishen. When I was I felt like he died, and he might as well have. The end was as mean and selfish as the Ghost. I know it's just a movie, but few movies make me so angry. I was very disappointed.I agree that the scenes were slow and boring and that Juhi looked amazing. They didn't show her enough. As far as Suniel's special appearance goes, it wasn't done well and the Juhi/Suniel story made no impression whatsoever. The best things about the movie were Juhi and the soundtrack.
Aam Aadmi
This film had high expectations riding on it but in the end like many a Bollywood wanna-be, failed to deliver. Amol Palekar not only acted in many movies but has served as chairperson of various film festivals and juries in India. The principal error he made with this effort is in the casting dept. Wrong choices all over. One can almost imagine how Manoj Bajpai or Atul Kulkarni could play this role very effectively, with all the nuances, subliminal layering and complicated subtexts. Either the director was pressed to again, "sell to the Desi/NRI audience" thereby hiring a star instead of an actor, or if he simply made bad choices. It seems that any minor glitches in the screenplay would've been smoothed over by a really good cast.Rajasthan is a place known historically for child marriages and young, sometimes widowed brides. That angle, child bride and groom, is missing from this film and could've been played upon. After all, we're talking about a rural, traditional village milieu here set in the desert during medieval times presumably. The central idea has been borrowed from 'The Entity', where the spirit is shown raping a woman. However, we are not quite certain if Paheli is about ghosts and spirits or is a love story, or is about the yearning for an out-of-the-ordinary relationship. The latter can be made into a very convincing plot twist if the writer had so desired. It isn't about plausibility. You don't want/need to know if ghosts can impregnate women. But the film-makers do need to be clear on "what its all about" and thats clearly not the case here. The rural setting, the folksy-mythical backdrop is all fine but the story itself doesn't ring true. Aside from the poor characterization, photography is good and supporting cast are OK. Rani isn't nearly as effective -- not sufficiently de-glamorized.It is not that you cannot grasp what the director was trying to convey. But the whole package taken together doesn't add up. Shahrusk is simply unconvincing and should stick to his formula melodramas. How can anyone even try to recast him as an actor so late in the game, nor should they try without serious risk of loss. The advice to Bollywood film-makers is very simple -- STICK TO THE POINT. Learn to focus on one thing and one thing alone. It makes for VERY effective story-telling. Sub-plots work ONLY if they propel the plot forward and don't seem like diversions.That said, its doubtful it will win a nomination at the Academy awards. A suitable choice would've been to send Parineeta, or even Iqbal. The politics of the 'selection' process should be amply clear to all by now.
AishFan
I must give Shahrukh credit for daring to do such an unconventional movie with so many risk factors--it's a fantasy film; the lead actor is a ghost; it is narrated by animated puppets; etc. SRK, unsurprisingly, gave a great performance. Rani and Juhi were also great. Amitabh was fantastic in his brief appearance. Visuals were absolutely stunning! From the bright costumes to the breathtaking sand dunes, every detail of the frame was given lots of attention to bring out the vibrant colors of Rajasthan. Songs were nice and even better were their videos, especially the one during the end credits.The story is very unconventional, and different audiences will react differently to it. Some may find it humorous, some may find it inappropriate, while others may find it to be just plain weird. What I saw in the film was that the ghost "person"ified a woman's desire, while Rani represented every woman. In the rather traditional and conservative culture of rural and historic Rajasthan, the woman lives in a suffocating atmosphere serving her husband and in-laws. The ghost gave Rani love, respect, passion, devotion, honesty, and commitment in contrast to the real SRK who was working on his accounts and not talking on his nuptial night, only to desert his wife for five years. I thought the fact the lover is a ghost only goes to show that these passionate desires are just dreams that couldn't come true (in that time and place).