It's been two decades of Parineeta - a film that gave us Vidya Balan, luminous and brimming with a talented streak waiting to explode.
20 years later, as the film is being re-released, cinegoers are reminded of how Pradeep Sarkar's Parineeta felt like a warm hug, tucked in vintage Calcutta in 1962. Amitabh Bachchan's empowering narration as the frame opens up to the golden-lit lanes of the City of Joy, a Satyajit Ray-esque atmosphere that is deeply reminiscent of an era gone by, and at the cusp of it, love, loss, longing, and reunion.
While the lead trio - Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, and Sanjay Dutt were remarkable in their characters as Shekhar Rai, Lalita, and Girish Sharma, the supporting cast was an integral part of the assemblage to add gravitas to the story.
Raima Sen played the role of Lalita's (Vidya Balan) effervescent cousin. Full of life, peppered with a little playfulness, her character came with a touch of lightness that balanced the intensity of the main plot. Koel's naivety became a stroke of vibrancy that she brought about whenever she came on screen; it made you miss your cousins all the more.
The plot of Parineeta revolves around Lalita (Vidya Balan), who lives with her financially unstable uncle (Achyut Potdar). Since childhood, she has had feelings for her next-door neighbour, Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan). Shekhar's father, Navinchandra (Sabyasachi Chakraborty), is a wealthy but heartless businessman. Lalita soon discovers that Navinchandra wants to seize her uncle's home and convert it into a hotel. She decides to seek help from the affluent businessman Girish Sharma (Sanjay Dutt). However, misunderstandings arise when Shekhar suspects romance brewing between Lalita and Girish.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Raima Sen time-travels back to 1962, and narrates how the late Pradeep Sarkar made the entire Parineeta crew become a tight-knit family on set.
Raima Sen's Crush On Sanjay Dutt's Character Girish: "I Actually Had A Crush On Him"
The central romance of Parineeta whirled around Lalita (Vidya Balan), Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan) and Girish (Sanjay Dutt), but Koel's (Raima Sen) unrequited feelings for the rather charming businessman Girish make your hearts flutter with its innocence.
Her coquettish glances and the sequence where the lamp flickers and lights up the room, and there he is - Koel's Prince Charming, who is disarmingly smitten by his easy presence.
Well, it wasn't difficult at all, says Raima Sen.
Raima Sen and Sanjay Dutt in Parineeta
The actress quips, "There's no one scene of mine in the film that I can pick from, but the part where I opened the door for Girish and I am blushing, because I am supposed to have a crush on him. That came very naturally because I actually did have a crush on him when I was growing up, so it was very natural."
"Vidya Was Not A Nervous Newcomer - She Was Very Confident"
Parineeta was Vidya Balan's big Bollywood debut, but the actress had already debuted in Bengali cinema with Gautam Halder's Bhalo Theko in 2003. There was also a Malayalam film titled Chakram in the works around 1999-2000, which unfortunately got shelved due to production issues.
Vidya Balan has always been vocal about her deep love for the Bengali culture. Raima Sen chimes in, "Oh, her debut was actually a Bengali film!"
As for being a nervous wreck before her first Hindi film, Parineeta? Not a chance, adds Raima Sen.
She says, "When I met Vidya, we were almost the same age. But we talked to each other like sisters. We had these pet names going for each other, and she really took care of me. She really treated me like a younger sister, even though we were more or less the same age. She was not a nervous newcomer. She was very confident and very sure of herself right from the start."
Vidya Balan and Raima Sen in Parineeta
"She made it very easy for me to get along with her, and then we remained great friends. In fact, even after the Parineeta event, which happened recently, she messaged me and said she missed me. She's a very warm, affectionate, and genuine person. And I was just telling her that 20 years ago, in fact, it was the first time I went to Shirdi with Vidya. And this year, in fact, I visited Shirdi during the Parineeta event after 20 years. It was a full circle moment."
"Everyone Around Saif Is Always In A Light Mood"
While Raima Sen's character Koel did not have many interactions with Saif Ali Khan's Shekhar on set, even the few ones were enjoyable because Saif Ali Khan is a lot of fun around.
Saif Ali Khan in Parineeta
Raima Sen fondly remembers, "Saif is great fun. He's got a brilliant sense of humour. Everything around him is light and playful. Shooting was never boring."
Raima Sen On Bonding With The Parineeta Cast: " We All Got Along Like A Real Family"
The two families seen in the film were the affluent Roy family, led by the snobbish patriarch Navinchandra (Sabyasachi), and the rather impoverished one, which was their neighbours, the Gurucharan family, who were relatives of the female protagonist Lalita, who lived with them.
Recalling how the workshops made everyone become a family for real, Raima Sen states that by the time filming began, the cast members knew each other very well.
She says, "Pradeep Da and I had done a lot of ad shoots together. It was after Chokher Bali that he came to me and offered me this role. Parineeta had a beautiful script, and my role was lovely. He made us feel like a part of a family. When we were off, during the workshop for the film, he didn't make it feel like a workshop. All of us would play games together, and every day we'd sit together. It was a very different kind of workshop. So when we went on the set, we were already living the film, and we were already a part of a big family."
"It's Intimidating Because She Is Rekha!"
Rekha, in her special number Kaisi Paheli Zindagani in the film, was a standout moment that no one can erase from their memories of Parineeta.
Rekha, swooning to this jazz-influenced Hindi song with its cabaret touch, was a unique concoction of the old-world charm and modern-day setting. The ambience was glamorous, the vibe was alluring and amidst it was Rekha, stealing the limelight.
Rekha in Kaisi Paheli Zindagani in Parineeta
Raima Sen says, "I met Rekha when I was a baby. When my mother was filming, she would take us. So we met her when we were kids. When I met her for Parineeta, she remembered that. She called me to her van and. she asked about my mother. She was so sweet on the set, humble and warm, chatting with everybody. When you see her, it's intimidating because she's Rekha, of course, but I was just so excited to be in the same frame as her; the experience was something else."
Raima Sen in Kaisi Paheli Zindagani
Raima Sen On Parineeta Being A Milestone Film: "I Have 5-6 On That List, Parineeta Would Be One Of Them"
The 45-year-old actress started acting at the age of 17, but Raima Sen has managed to carve a niche for herself both in the Bollywood and Tollywood peripheries. With a legacy like the great Suchitra Sen, actress and her beloved grandmother, and mother Moon Moon Sen, who is fondly remembered in the cinematic world, Raima Sen has had a steady career graph to add to it.
From Rituparno Ghosh's Choker Bali to Srijit Mukherjee's Baishe Srabon and Aparna Sen's Antaheen - such acclaimed Bengali films that instantly paint a picture of a blooming Raima Sen establishing herself as a notable actress.
As for Bollywood, she has been vocal about not getting her due and wanting to have more opportunities, but Parineeta has a piece of her heart.
She shares, "I have 5-6 milestone films in my career, and Parineeta is one of them because I only decided it's a milestone film when people come up and express love. When you know your film has reached everywhere, even after 20 years, they say we loved you in Parineeta, that counts and is very special."
The film celebrated 20 years of its release on June 10, 2025, and has been re-released in theatres today, August 29, 2025. The film has been restored in a stunning 8K version by Prasad Film Labs, bringing its rich visuals and impactful storytelling back to the big screen.
Parineeta was an ode to Calcutta and old-school romance - it was a love letter to the city that always feels like home. The nostalgia is at its peak, as we revisit a film that was poetry in motion.
Parineeta, 20 years later, is weaving magic once again in cinemas near you.