Vidya Balan brought ‘poetry to the role,’ says Saif Ali Khan on ‘Parineeta’

Cinema truly has the power to turn back time. That is exactly what happened when ‘Parineeta’ returned to theatres on August 29, 2025, for a special one-week re-release. The 2005 gem, which introduced Vidya Balan to Bollywood and featured Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt in leading roles, still has the same charm that touched audiences two decades ago.

Saif Ali Khan, who played Shekhar, reflected on the film and its impact. He also talked about how the role shaped him as an actor. Also, he admitted that ‘Parineeta’ was unlike any character he had played before.

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“At that time, I was used to the typical romantic hero parts. But Shekhar was complicated. He was proud, vulnerable, and not always easy to like. His story was about growth and self-discovery. And, that gave me something new to explore as an actor. It pushed me out of my comfort zone,” he said.

The movie, based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s famous Bengali novel, gave Saif a chance to experiment with a more layered performance. “It was a classic role, and I tried to bring a sense of elegance to it. I still feel very proud of the work I did in that film. It remains one of my favourites,” he shared.

While Saif Ali Khan found personal growth through the role, he also spoke warmly about working with Vidya Balan, who made her debut with ‘Parineeta.’

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“She was simply brilliant. For her very first film, she carried so much grace and freshness. She gave life to the character with such natural poetry that it felt like she had always belonged to the big screen. Watching her was inspiring,” he recalled.

The actor also praised the magic of the entire team, from the cast to the production design. The recreated world of 1960s Kolkata left a lasting mark on him.

“The film transported us into an old Kolkata, an artistic and soulful city that my mother would remember. That version of Kolkata is slowly fading, but ‘Parineeta’ captured it beautifully. That’s what makes the film feel even more nostalgic today,” Saif said.

And, two decades later, ‘Parineeta’ still feels timeless.