Pakeezah

For lovers of Indian movies set in the days of the Mughals, when Persian culture worked its way eastward. Women were seen as subservient to the male dominated warrior caste, who nevertheless were open to philosophy, religion, and performing the arts, and so used female courtesans to entertain their elite. The film then tells the story set in Muslim Lucknow at the turn of the century, its central character is a Lucknowi nautch-girl or courtesan, and for her to fall in love was forbidden, it was a sin she was told, a nautch-girl is born to delight others such is her destiny and yet her restless soul could not suppress her surging desire - To Love and Be Loved. Classic film, dramatic story, and beautiful song and dance routines. If you like this film, you will also adore Umrao Naan, a similarly beautiful film about a heartbroken courtesan who it seems fate has destined her to be single and forlorn all her life. Ah, to be loved! Beautiful costumes and scenery by the way.

Beautiful

Beautiful film

It was a great movie but was unable to watch it as it keep stoping due to poor quality of the disc.

With this offering, Shemaroo have achieved the impossible - they have made one of the world's great movies unwatchable.I don't need to tell you what the movie is about. It's one of bollywood's great triumphs - sumptuous, moving, beautifully written, well acted and with songs and music that generations have loved and will continue to love.Pakeeza is a glittering jewel in bollywood's crown.This particular version - by Shemaroo - is however uniquely disappointing.The dvd starts badly with several minutes of adverts which can't be fast forwarded. The subtitles were clearly written by people who didn't understand the film and who only speak pidgin english. There many mistakes in the translation and the subtitles consistantly fail to get across the messages of the film, it's nuances and pathos.The dvd picture quality is poor. The colours, the sumptuous dances scenes, the huge stages, the feeling of wealth and opulance, the audio quality of the beautiful music, the poetry and prose are all lost in this copy. It is a sad and miserable parody of the original.Watch Pakeezah and you will thank yourself for having done so - but avoid watching it on a Shemaroo dvd.