Parineeta Review: Hoichoi Series is Engaging and Enraging

Based on the novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Hoichoi’s newest series Parineeta brings back Shekhar and Lalita’s undying love for one another to the screen once more. After a chance encounter with each other out of the blue at a railway station, the two of them reminisce about their past and confront their complicated feelings for one another as they wait for their train to Kolkata to arrive.

Parineeta Review

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel has been adapted to film many times over, most notably the 2005 film starring Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan. Hoichoi’s reimagining is a little different, with Lalita and Shekhar thinking back on their relationship after a 4-year separation. The series showcases these moments through flashbacks and for once, I enjoyed watching the story unfold in this manner.

Chattopadhyay’s novel is beloved by many and for good reason. There is a longing in the story that is unlike others but more importantly, Lalita’s character is one that mesmerises audiences and grips them to the story. Hoichoi’s undertaking brings all that to the screen, showcasing Lalita’s devotion to Shekhar and her undying love for him in an unbridled manner. Debchandrima Singha Roy, playing Lalita, is a mixture of defiance and innocence and captures the character’s charms effortlessly. She stands up for her dignity and self-respect and furthermore stands up for her ideals and morals without a second thought, a feat that not many women could do in 1905 during the Bengal Partition.

Aditi Roy’s series focuses on Lalita more than Shekhar and shows her in a light that makes us root for her (as it should). Even as a teenager, she has the guts to stand up to her elders in adult matters which leaves you feeling protective over her. Thus, when Shekhar constantly belittles her, you can’t help but hate their union. Watching him unload his negativity and issues onto this innocent young girl who wants nothing more than to be loved by him is grating and extremely horrid. I guess one must give it a pass, considering the time the novelist wrote the story but when you watch it through a modern lens, you can’t help but see how unfair Shekhar is throughout the runtime.

Shekhar’s character is one that most people hate, including me. Although he has moments of love, respect and trust for Lalita, it is clear that his jealousy issues work overtime whenever Lalita wants to do anything but hover around him. Compounded by the fact that the man seems to goad his age over a teenage Lalita, you understand why child marriages are illegal in modern society! That being said, Gaurav Chakrabarty is a restrained Shekhar who brings out the issues that the man has without overdoing the negativity. There is no way you can’t hate his character but Chakrabarty’s rendition is well done and he brings out all of his character’s emotions with ease.

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However, as much as I love and understand Lalita’s plights, it’s hard to see her throw her revolutionary spirit and positivity away whenever she is around Shekhar. Even after 4 years apart, he passive-aggressively pokes at her constantly without actually bothering to learn about her life. It’s a typical trait, one that will boil your blood to no end. However, the surprising part here is that Lalita allows this to happen over and over again and it leaves you hating their romance since you see nothing but him belittling her for no fault of her own. Of course, the times were different and that’s definitely to blame.

Parineeta 2024 brings all these feelings out well and Gaurav Chakrabarty and Debchandrima Singha Roy bring out the push and pull of their characters well. The story is somehow relevant even today, with women not getting their freedom and right to choose in many parts of our country. The emotions that you feel for these characters and Shekhar’s constant need for validation are such an important part of this story that it hurts your heart. The series thankfully showcases Lalita standing up to Shekhar in some capacity and showing her displeasure at his bad behaviour after marrying her out of the blue. It’s actually stark seeing her standing up to him in her own way and although it isn’t as staunch as you want it to be, it pierces through the silence that Shekhar’s cowardice otherwise creates.

Final Thoughts

Hoichoi’s series based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel is a well-done affair that looks at the events of the novel in a different light. Although I feel like the series is one episode too long with the stolen glances, not talking clearly and whatnot, it’s an interesting addition that I was both engaged and enraged to watch. In the end, however, we can’t help but root for Girin, who comes out of this mess with flying colours.

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