User Reviews

Rani Mukherjee's performance in the lead role is good. Konkona Sen has given a great performance as always. This movie is worth a look at once.

Parineeta was among the best films to come out from bollywood in the past five years or so. Pradeep Sarkar had become a highly renowned name with that one subtle masterpiece alone. And when Yash Raj roped him in to direct 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag', expectations were inevitable huge. And with the kind of star cast it boasted of, a quality offing was imminent. Alas, how you wish they had thought of making something worthwhile of their talents than this done and tested excuse of a story. I am not even bothering to write a synopsis as it would seem outdated even for a 70s audience. Each scene and sequence is ever-so-cruelly predictable. It does have its moments though. It is a beautifully presented film. The cinematography and the design and choreography are absolutely fascinating. The performances are top notch as well. Rani Mukerjee is excellent as you would expect, but she is betrayed by the film writer. Abishek Bachan and Kunal Kapoor have gone completely mental. How else could they have opted for such pathetically portrayed characters? Jaya Bachan shows her class but its Konkona Sen who shines. She comes as a whiff of fresh air in the otherwise dry and pointless enterprise. Sadly these glimpses of brilliance are not enough. Disappointing!

I'd been wanting to watch 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' for a while mainly because it starred one of my favorite actresses Konkona Sen Sharma and a used-to-be favorite Rani Mukerjee (I still like her). In spite of hearing the bad reviews, I was still considering it as I expected that in the least I'd get to see two great performances. That's all I got.

Pradeep Sarkar could have made one fine movie but with so many unnecessary (and irritating) characters, the bad writing (clichès etc) and lack of character development the film is hugely bought down. Why the hell was there a need to have the whole Tinnu Anand - Sushant Singh track (they're irritating)? A wooden Abhishek adds nothing interesting (another track that could have better been left out). Anupam Kher hams it up as a card-board selfish (misogynist?) dad. Likewise the other characters are badly written. In the beginning we see a frantic Jaya Bachchan in the hospital when the husband's had a heart attack but Konkona's Chutki is shown to be very relaxed (as if nothing happened). Was she simply in denial or was she just staying positive? Then in a later scene (before Rani becomes an escort call girl) we see that her neighbor-friend offers her money for help but she still decides to sleep with his boss. Was it simply that phone call to her mother that pushed her off the edge? Jaya Bachchan plays a caricature mother and this can be added to one of her worst performances.

In addition to all the mess, most of the songs were horrible and should have been edited out. The only songs that stand out are the first track, the song that takes place when Badki becomes Natassha and the Mujra (even though it was chopped and could have been better left as a whole). The outdoor locations (e.g. Switzerland and Italy) in the songs were unnecessary but what would a Yashraj film be without such flooze?

On the positive side, as mentioned earlier, there are two standout performances. Apart from that one scene mentioned above, Konkona is brilliant. The role itself is not something particularly special, but the actress is and she definitely leaves a mark. The scenes with her and Rani are the best. Thankfully, there are enough of those to make the film somewhat worth the watch. It was funny seeing her do the singing and dancing (as it's the first time she's done that) not that she was bad or anything.

'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' is Rani's film. The actress does one of her best acts and shows tremendous growth. Easily one of the best performances this year and all Rani needs is more great (and such different) roles in great films to mark her talent.

Hema Malini does a graceful cameo. However her dance-number is chopped into pieces. 'Would have liked to see her dance more. The cinematography is impressive, especially the shots of Banaras. On the whole, this is one severely flawed and very predictable film but with two fantastic performances that prevent me from calling it a waste of time. I'd recommend it to those who like the works of Rani and Konkona as long as they don't expect anything from the film itself.

Well, I have watched this movie yesterday and I am really disappointed. Firstly in doesn't happen like this in real life and also no one accept anyone like this. I got the idea of the movie plot from the name and there are may films on the same issue. I think there should be a movie which really guide to get rid of such situation rather to guide what happened in this movie. There should be some different concept like chukde India or like black. The movie makers should concentrate on how to take someone out of that market and struggle rather making a path for it. I am really disappointed and its a really waste of time of watching movie on same issue without any solution to it.

Yashraj have made several films but yet there take the people for granted There make anything and think the audiences will accept it

Luckily this was rejected

The movie is funny OK first Rani leaves her village where she dances like a kid and comes to Mumbai for a job, the boss offers her an offer to sleep with, She gets sick but later-on she accepts the same thing from other people Double standards and how!

Wait then suddenly there is a love story between her and Abhishek

Some 70's style clichés and what not

A cheesy ending

A stupid family

Only saving grace is the performances Rani just repeats her act but acts well in some portions Konkona is the scene stealer Kunal Kapoor gets a stupid role Abhishek is wasted

A look at a lush green fully grown tree might be a treat for one's eye but even it's root might have ended up in some drain of a cosmopolitan city from where it sources its life.

Well such is the story of this movie where in a simple small town girl falls in the webs of the flesh industry to get her family out of it's hysterical trouble. Now when such is the story of the movie less is left for the director and more for the actors to perform....and do they deliver???....

YES they do, Rani Mukherjee does justice to this difficult role that she has performed, specially during the transformation from a village girl to the so called "high class escort". But Hats off to Jaya Bachchan & Konkona Sen Sharma who i should say is a jewel of bollywood. Its now that i realize how talented Mrs Bachchan is, a remarkable performance i should say. Abhiskek Bachchan is not Akshay Kumar but does his part in the movie to the audience's pleasure.

On an all it is a well crafted movie, a movie on which effort has not been put only to sell it but otherwise.As far as the Rs 220 that i spent on watching this film is concerned, i think i got my money's worth. My suggestion is "please go and watch the film for the performances.

Aaina – remake – Laga Chunari Man Daag (LCMD) – release year 2007 30 years later, Bollywood made the same theme because they failed to drive in the message in the think-brains of we, the Indians – way back in 1977! So in LCMD- Rani (who eventually becomes a prostitute in the film) is the daughter of a retired Professor (Anupam Kher) who is not getting his pension and is shown running from pillar to post to get it. Jaya (playing Ran's mother) is somehow managing to run the household by sewing blouses & petticoats. Financial crunch drives Rani to the big city where she becomes a high class Prostitute – having the designation of 'Escort' because in big-big corporate sectors, the senior officials cannot ask like 'get me a prostitute for the night' …..etiquette does not allow – so a new name 'Escort' has been given to such sex-workers. They obviously get paid higher than the red light area sex-workers….yea – this is a kind of injustice – absolutely the same work but payment is vastly different! So in this world, in 2007, where unemployment is rampant, Rani starts living in a plush house in Mumbai plus starts sending money to not just feed the family but also renovate the dilapidated building they lived in! People from her village (her cousin in fact) comes to know that she was actually a sex-worker and even starts blackmailing her! She then meets a filthy rich handsome hunk who starts dating her and then even marries her because rich males – mostly f**k around all kinds of females – but in Rani – he could see the subservient, submissive qualities as well (along with promising sex-postures that escorts are supposedly experts at) – after all she was from a small town and decides to marry her after all. His brother marries Rani's younger sister – who was an MBA (not an escort because she was educated…..I think this is the reason why Indian females are kept uneducated – coz if they all become literate and independent..who would do the job of sex-worker?..this is an inherent fear that sleazy debauch males have and thus do their level best to promote whoredom among women and keep it alive forever!) Take Home for commoners (thick brained esp.) after watching LCMD:

That a female can be a sex-worker – either out of choice or by force – whatever – because eventually they will find some rich & handsome idiot to marry – so why not enjoy with as many males as possible?

When males are allowed to happily hump around females – why shouldn't females do the same? Why on earth should they maintain their chastity or virginity – when some debauch, amply humped demon will ultimately marry them? A demon only deserves a witch. Ravana needs to marry Mandodari. So there.

Some males seem hardly bothered about concepts like chastity or virginity (so it seems in the film) – the fact that Abhishek (Rani's hubby in the film) happily agreed to marry the escort – knowing very well that later, when he attends the corporate meetings etc., the BEEPS will smile and even wink at his wife…reminding her of the 'nude' times they had together!!(you see Abishek happened to meet Rani in one of the corporate meetings…means that he will be meeting the same officers or executives – for whom Rani was present……like to entertain them on bed!

Aaina - a yesteryear Bollywood film Difference between Aaina 1977 and LCMD 2007 – Not much really. Parents are dumb enough to not understand the source of money. Both the times the prostitutes got married and lived happily ever after.

Indians (maximum) went to see the conical blouse & open cleavage of Mumtaz and Rani respectively.

As anyone who has seen a trailer for this movie knows, Rani Mukherjee is a girl from a fine Banaras family on the economic downslide, who goes to Bombay intending to make money to help them out and finds herself in business as a high-class professional escort.

When her younger sister, Konkona Sen Sharma, comes to Bombay to take up her own job in an ad agency, we see the two of them in a tonga on Marine Drive, the Queen's Necklace fulfilling its promise to swirl the city in glamor. When some ladies of the night pass by the carriage, Konkona makes an unthinking provincial girl's harsh comment, and her sister rebukes her sharply for her lack of compassion.

In this passage of perfect dialogue, you have the main tension driving the story, and one of its many moments of good acting between well-drawn women characters. What is going to happen if the younger sister finds out what her big sister has done in order to secure her own future? Will Rani's sacrifice separate her forever from her sister's love and respect, and from a chance at acceptance in romance and marriage?

I gather this is a Hindi movie theme known to the Indian audience. LCMD is far from perfect -- there's a mixing of story types going on probably, the old-style melodrama and something more modern and psychological -- but the good things about it make it more than worth seeing. There are four striking women characters (Jaya as mother, and Hema Malini in a special appearance that blesses the whole movie, including a dance that should have been much longer) who all seem relatively "real" in relation to Hindi movie women. They relate to each other in a decent, normal way (in small roles we have a less-nice girl and also a friend in Bombay as well).

Another good thing: the parents are less than respect-worthy without being "bad" Hindi movie parents -- father clearly is an upper-class slacker who'd rather develop "symptoms" than get a job, rent out a room, sell the property and live within his means; and mother is interestingly ambivalent about what her daughter is doing in order to be sending home the cash.

The cinematography of Banares and Bombay is worth the trip to the theaters, and the clothes are worth taking notes on, both the subtle and stunning cotton traditional clothes of the family in Banaras and Rani's high-style nicely top-of-the-city wardrobe. You might be reminded of India as the home of the most wonderful textiles on the planet.

If the story is still Bollywoodized and Bollywood-y (how did a villain know the thing he knows? why don't we see a bit more of Rani's "work life"? why do we need a song that is actually set in Switzerland -- though maybe that's ironic/postmodern?), it nonetheless is a rich enough, fresh enough, and engaging enough experience, with great performances.

As it really is about its women, the men are fine but you wouldn't focus on them in thinking about the movie. If you see the movie, you may find it raises good questions -- it it progressive? regressive? what do we mean by these things? -- worth talking and thinking about.

When I went for the movie I was skeptical as I heard a review that the movie was a regressive tear jerker. Which thankfully was DEFINITELY NOT TRUE. I wonder if the reviewer actually saw the movie.

The story is about a benaras based family falling into hard times and Rani moving to mumbai to save the family from financial ruin.

A family falling into bad times is certainly not a novel concept. What is refreshing is the story line, which is definitely modern and realistic and never one dimensional. Life in Benaras and Mumbai has been captured beautifully without a trace of cliché.

The romance between Konkona and Kunaal is refreshing and so is the chemistry between Rani and Abhishek. The story line is sometimes sad but always realistic and upbeat.

Acting and Direction is superb. Rani and Konkona are superb. Rani sizzles with her looks and acting. Konkona acting is superb. Kunal has shown he is much more that a pretty face. Abhishek role is short but he does a decent job. Jaya's acting is flawless.

Kudos to the director/producer for choosing a difficult subject and handling it with great sensitivity.

This fall is supposed to be full of good and bad surprises. All the previews of this flick promised that a treat is likely to come our way. And this is exactly what has gone against this movie.The highlights of the songs weren't too misleading, as far as its catchy tunes are concerned. The plot revolves around a family settled in Benaras. Shivshanker Sahay (Anupam Kher) is a retired man lives in an ancestral house, with two daughters, and his wife, Sabitri (Jaya Bachchan). The elder daughter Vibha (Rani) is more conscious of her parents' old age, their growing anxiety for making both ends meet, and her incapacity as a woman to support her parents as a son would have done. This financial crisis pushes Vibha to fetch for work in a city of opportunities where opportunities are very hard to strike. From this point, the never-ending saga of Vibha turning into Natasha brings a very predictable twist in the story. Chutki (Konkana Sen) is one of the finest artists in Indian cinema. She has done full justice to her role as a younger daughter with little understanding of the family crisis and huge dreams for future. Though it is a very well-executed movie, with finesse of Pradeep Sarkar, and all the right ingredients for a commercial hit, it is a very predictable movie. The reason for its predictability is that the previews not only revealed the entire story, but stole all the surprising elements from it.

I started out with a pretty bleak expectation, to be honest, but it was not all that bad after a 2+ hours.

Though I was very impressed the ad-man Pradeep Sarkar's first outing, Parineeta. It was one of the best of that year. I began with expectations of good cinematography. But as the movie unfolded, it was hard to disregard the story to watch each and every frame! Certainly the frames, esp the Benaras ghat scenes were very artistically done. One can be pretty much sure of artistic delight of Pradeep Sarkar's penchant for visuals.

Acting wise, it's Rani Mukherjee's solo movie. I don't remember seeing her in a pivotal role in any film. So much so that, her co-star Abhishek Bachchan almost seems a gust appearance in the movie. Kunal Kapoor does good job in his role. (Why does every working professional hero/heroine in the Hindi movies have to do a job in ad-industry?) Konkana SenSharma - the only character I thought was a miscast. A big fan of her, almost all her movies - but her role in this movie looks sorta fake! Its not matter of the middle-class-family daughter in Benaras or working professional (ad-industry, of course) in Bombay. For that matter, last year, Vishaal Bharadwaj shot her beautifully in Omkara! I just think she is not commercial-movie-type. She seems very fake, when trying to dance or sing.

Shantanu Moitra's music is passable. 'Hum to aise hain bhaiyya' is hummable by the time you finish watching the movie, because it keeps playing in the movie throughout. This is a typical filmy album, with few happy, a dance number, a sad song, the usual fair. The only song really stands out is the sort of hip-hop number with Mita Vashisth's voice with Shubha Mudgal's rendition of Manna Dey's old classic, 'Laaga chunari mein daag'.

Lastly, I am truly happy for Pradeep Sarkar. Here's a man, who came to the industry very late in his career, but I am glad he did. In fact, I think going to Switzerland for Yash Chopra's movies is a must, so he does! But really, he doesn't need to go abroad to make his visuals appealing, he has enough colors in his desi palette to fill the canvas!

There was a song by a similar title, sung many years back by the legendary K.L. Saigal.

Based on the old format about poverty, a movie production company hires a place in the Northern Indian city of Benares, where two sisters, Natasha and Chutki live with their parents. The father, Shivshankar Sahay, is against renting out his house to the movie company but has to accept it due to financial reasons. One night, upon request from one of the female members of the company, Natasha and Chutki go and watch a dance against their parents wishes. At the end of the performance, the three visit the female dancer, who tells Natasha that she is very pretty. But soon events turn for the worse and the movie production company, who had paid the family for the use of their house for filming, decide to withdraw and demand to have their money back. In the meantime, Natasha, who has had to leave college and help at home, has to admit her father to a hospital as he suffers heart problems and has to pay for him to be admitted. She decides to go to Mumbai and get a job as an actress as the female member of the movie had promised her. But nothing works out and in order to support her family, Natasha is forced to make up her mind as what she wants to do. But events force her to turn into a high class prostitute.

This is one movie, that Rani Mukherjee, as Natasha, tries to show her versatility as an actress and has proved it. The other bit of excellent acting is by Jaya Bachchan as her mother and also Abhishek and Konkona Sen. But Hema Malini, who makes a special appearance as the dancer, is just magnificent even though she's in it as "special appearance." The movie also stars Tinu Anand as Shishankar Sahay's evil brother.

Conclusion: This is worth watching at least once.

What can I say except for the Golden Triangel of Bollywood has made the film a master-piece in superb acting.

Jaya Bachan Rani Mukerjee Konkona Sen

What a golden Triangle, all of the have excellent skills in acting and the whole movie is carried on these girls shoulders, and they have done a really good job.

Iam trying to understand why this movie was a flop in India, was it the critics or the public who didn't wanna see it ? Do the public only want Masala Movies with no meaning like Om SHanti Om (eventhough SRK is a brilliant actor). I don't wanna tell about the story but Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is a must see movie, and if you liked Saawaria and Om Shanti Om, I can guarantee that this movie has more dept to offer.

One of this years best movies in Drama is :Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, And thriller : Bhool Bhulayaa

Yup, just what I had expected. A beautiful movie with a strong social message rated low by small and conservative minds. How quaint!

Seriously, this is such as under-rated movie. All actors played their characters brilliantly. Rani, Abhishek, Konkona, Anupam Kher, and Jaya Bachan--even the villains were all too great. But hey, people have grown to love crappy Sallu bhai's movie instead of movies portraying social issues. A family of daughters only, father just a so called father, and a mother in a whirlpool of stress and responsibilities. Amidst all this, Rani takes up on a journey and a role to support her family. What she went through, and later became--was a choice given by the society, not her own. So then, who are we to judge those who opt for such measures in the times of need. One must survive. Here, a whole family survived because of her sacrifices. Chutki (Rani's younger sister) couldn't have finished her education if it wasn't for Rani's sacrifices. And, I loved that she became a supportive friend of her sister after discovering what she does for living.

Beautifully directed and performed. A movie that deserves more. A movie hard to digest for mentally-challenged-conservative individuals who refuse to be open-minded. A 5 out of 5 movie for me!

P. S. I have learned from my experience, to always watch movies with a social-message, and have a low-rating on Internet. Trust me, they always turn out to be great!

This movie premiered on Oct 12, 2007. I was not too keen to watch another family drama but my friend Pratibha insisted that its not going to be a run-of-the-mill flick so I relented. I must say she was right and the movie worth the moolah! It begins with a song and dance routine featuring Shubhavari (Konkona Sen a.k.a Chutki) and Vibhavari (Rani Mukerji a.k.a Badki) on the river bank, meandering thru the by-lanes and leading to an old mansion in Benaras where we also get introduced to Anupam Kher (Shiv Shankar Sahay) and Jaya Bachchan (Sabitri) who are the leading ladies' parents. Everything's not hunky dory though-Kher's brother (played by Tinu Anand) and his son Ratan want to usurp the mansion and the family is distressed by occasional threats, quarrels and mounting litigation expenses. Anupam Kher is keeping poor health and Jaya Bachchan stitches clothes day in day out to supplement the family income.

A film unit wants to hire the Kher mansion and pays them Rs.75000 but the windfall is momentary as the shoot is canceled. Distressed by her family's penury Vibha (Rani) lies to her folks about landing a job in Mumbai thanks to Sofia-the girl from the film unit. She lands in Mumbai and Sofia agrees to help her though her cold behavior suggests otherwise. Rani's lack of education sees her being chucked out from various jobs. Sofia's friend gives her some references but these don't work out either. Meanwhile Kher suffers a heart attack and Sofia's friend's boss spots Rani and agrees to help her. He asks Rani to spend the night with her-she is shocked but her family's condition makes her take the extreme step only to be told later that there was no job in the offing.

Sofia asks Rani to leave and she goes and puts up at Michelle's place-the latter asks Rani to wield her power over men instead of being used by them. She helps Rani with her makeover and Rani becomes a top-notch escort and is soon flush with money-she sends money home regularly thereby helping her family to get rid of its poverty.

During her flight to Zurich, Vibha meets Rohan (Abhishek B) and they share some light moments before she returns to Mumbai. Shortly before intermission Rani meets Ratan who threatens to spill the beans back home unless she pays him Rs.25000 every month. Rani agrees. She comes home to find her sister who has landed a job in Mumbai.

Shubha (Konkona) meets and falls in love with Vivaan (Kunal Kapoor) who is Rohan's (AB's) younger sibling. Their marriage is fixed and shortly before flying to Benares Shubha finds out her elder's sister's dark secret. Initially she is shocked and annoyed but soon realizes that her sister did everything to support the family and she pursues Rani to accompany her back home.

Alright fellas, you gotta watch the rest...lol! Rani Mukerji excels and so do the other members of the cast. A very good family drama with an undercurrent of a theme portraying the oldest profession in the world! Musical score is good too.

Pssst...I almost burst out laughing when a girl sitting besides me started sobbing but I assure you this flick ain't a tearjerker...Sanjeev Logani :-)

Writing about LCMD has been on my to-do list for quite a while and destiny chooses this day to make it happen. Laaga Chunari Mein Daag at prima-facie narrates a tale of a girl who hails from from a devout & conservative middle-class family enriched with strong values. Sadly the family is faced with financial difficulties and the girl embarks on a journey to big city for a bailout. Circumstances force the girl from the Holy city to compromise her values to make a living in the Sin City. From there its about leading a dual life of in the garb of "Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde" and a subsequent "forced" love track.

There appears to be more-than-warranted sub-plots into the story-line which spoils the narrative. The director seems to be at loss as to what he wanted to put across. Journey from Benaras to Mumbai plot is straight lift from Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili. Parineeta being a period drama warranted a rich looked backed with a slow narrative for the audience to connect. However the style (slow-narrative) seems ill-suited for Laaga Chunari Mein Daag.

This movie could have been yet another feather in Rani's cap as her character is author backed and a feminist storyline. Konkana is as usual spot on. Jaya B & Anupam do their part with ease. Jr. B seems to have an extended special appearance.