Call me mushy, but then Bengalis just have a way with emotions. Parineeta is a breath of fresh air in a generally cliched Bollywood.

Parineeta is the story of Lolita (Vidya Balan) and Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan). She lives with her aunt-uncle and their daughter Koel (Raima Sen) in a haveli (Pay attention to that). He lives in the mansion of his rich businessman father and plays guitar and piano (double whammy!). Growing up together, an intricate bond develops between them. And to put it plainly, it's love. In comes Girish (Sanjay Dutt), the perfect man with a golden heart. It’s here that the relationships heat up (and I mean literally).

The highlight: a subtle and nearly flawless performance from Saif. You know why he itched to enact this role - we actually see him playing a mature man for once. A dream debut for any actress, Vidya Balan plays the protagonist of the Saratchandra Chattopadhyaya novel to great depth. And her quintessential Indian looks are captured finely, thanks to the great imagery in the film. Sanjay Dutt has found a great backer in the form of Vidhu Vinod Chopra now. The guy just gifts him with lovable roles to perform.

A former ad filmmaker, director Pradeep Sarkar knows what is needed to be said. A Bengali himself, he captures the 60s Bengali lifestyle with pit pat precision. The movie flows smoothly and is a crisp 2 1/2 hours long. The melodious songs are beautifully picturised and give progression to...

the storyline. The supporting cast like Ninad Kamat and many other ad faces also contribute well to the narrative. And guess what, product promotions are there too! Saridon, anyone?

The only flaw lies in the ending. Some may love the melodrama in it - I didn't. The movie which till then seemed 'different' suddenly takes the usual, beaten path. Nonetheless, kudos to a brilliant debut by Pradeep Sarkar and let’s get some more ad filmmakers into Bollywood. They know how to keep it short, sweet and great.