Parineeta

The film opens with scenes from erstwhile Calcutta and a narrator (Amitabh Bachchan) introducing the era. The setting places Shekhar in 1962 Kolkata, framing a world of tradition, music, and family duty. This opening sets the mood for a story of love, ambition, and social expectations.

On the night of Shekhar’s arranged marriage to Gayatri, Lalita’s presence and Shekhar’s memories of her flash through his mind. The family celebrations go on downstairs while Shekhar wrestles with memory, longing, and duty. The tension hints at a deeper, unresolved bond with Lalita.

A flashback reveals Lalita living with Gurcharan’s family after her parents’ death, with Koel as her cousin and Charu as a neighbor. Young Shekhar grows close to Lalita through music, resisting his father’s business ambitions. Their friendship is tempered by loss and growing artistic passions.

Shekhar devotes himself to Rabindranath Tagore and Elvis Presley tunes, choosing art over his father’s business plans. He rejects the idea of marrying Gayatri and pursues a freer path with Lalita by his side. The conflict between family duty and personal passion intensifies.

Girish, a steel tycoon from London, enters Charu’s world and is drawn to Lalita while Koel also shows interest. Shekhar grows jealous of Lalita’s closeness with Girish. The stage is set for a complicated triangle that could alter everyone’s fate.

Lalita uncovers a plan to refurbish Gurcharan’s haveli as a hotel, a scheme that could lead to Rai seizing the property if debts aren’t repaid. Lalita seeks help from Shekhar, but circumstances push Girish to step in and become a partner with Gurcharan. The deal resolves the money problem and deepens the mystery surrounding Lalita’s loyalties.

On an auspicious night, Shekhar and Lalita exchange garlands and consummate their marriage in secret. Their private bond contrasts with the formal arrangements surrounding Gayatri. The moment binds them emotionally, even as the world remains unaware.

While Shekhar is away in Darjeeling on a business trip, Rai humiliates Lalita over the hotel affair. He erects a wall between his house and Gurcharan’s, symbolizing a severed alliance. Gurcharan falls ill and Rajeshwari’s health also deteriorates, signaling a crumbling family balance.

Back home, Rai feeds Shekhar falsehoods about Lalita while hinting she married Girish for money. Enraged, Shekhar confronts Lalita and vents his anger, echoing the cruelty of his father. Girish steps in to support the ailing family and helps relocate them to London for care.

Girish aids the Gurcharan family in London, and Gurcharan dies during or after the trip. Upon returning, Shekhar mistakes Lalita and Girish as married and prepares to marry Gayatri. The emotional fallout reshapes loyalties and the path to his own marriage.

At the wedding night, Girish reveals he married Koel only because Lalita rejected him, and hands Shekhar the ownership papers of Gurcharan’s haveli. Rai is exposed for poisoning Shekhar’s mind, and Shekhar admits he is already married to Lalita. He breaks down the wall between the two families and brings Lalita home as his wife.

The literal and symbolic walls are removed, and Rajeshwari welcomes Lalita as Shekhar’s wife. The film closes on a note of renewal, with the couple beginning a life together and the Haveli finding a future aligned with their union.