Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Papeeha - The first whiff of romance.

I grew up in a township with dozens of other kids - and not one day was dull. But as we turned into teenagers, I saw to my horror that my friends, with whom I had always been on the same wavelength, were turning into movie-buffs. They spoke incessantly about movies and songs and Anil Kapoor's moustache and Madhuri Dixit's smile. I could speak volumes about Mark Twain and the Mahabharatha, but my friends would have nothing to do with a girl who thought that "Chandni ribbons" looked like mosquito nets.

It got worse. Childish giggles turned into dreamy sighs as I saw my once-sane friends walking around looking moonstruck and claiming that romance had entered their lives. A bunch of them claimed that the love in QSQT was the purest of them all, while two others were in love with the love in Maine Pyar Kiya. Some of them swore by Roja. And on top of all that, they asked me, ME, which movie introduced romance to me. I offered a tentative "Errr... The Sound of Music?"... and it sealed my fate further as the girl who doesn't know anything about Bollywood.

I have never been much of a movie-goer, but there were some movies I loved. Some brought laughter, some brought tears, but "Romance"? What was that?

And then, one night, Doordarshan screened Papeeha. And Romance, with a capital R, tiptoed into my life.

Papeeha is a wonderful, little-known, movie, made by that fabulous film-maker Sai Paranjpye. Winnie Paranjpye plays an anthropologist who goes to the forests to study tribals. There she meets the dashing Milind Gunaji, who plays a forest officer. In the course of the movie, they fall in love, and after a brief misunderstanding, they get together again. A simple, sweet, love story.

But the movie totally swept me off my feet. It was a strong, heady feeling, and it made me feel that I was the heroine and it was I who met the hero and fell in love with him. I saw myself in the dainty shoes of the very charming Winnie Paranjpye, she of the sparkling eyes and impish smile. I went with her to the forest, and was overwhelmed by the presence of the brooding, serious and handsome Milind Gunaji. I was a part of their witty conversations, recognized their love before either of them acknowledged it, agonized over their misunderstandings, and exulted at their reunion.

I don't know what did it. It might have been the unlikely location for the story - a forest, a village. It could have been the absence of complications - no villains, no strict parents, no interfering relatives, no slapstick comedy, no atrocious makeup, no grandiose settings. It could have been the stark contrast between the energetic, loveable and sweet heroine and the arrogant, egoistic, carelessly stylish hero. Oh, it could have even been that both the hero and the heroine were not at all glamourous in the conventional sense, and that made them so real, so attractive. It could have even been the fact that both of them had definite, unambiguous occupations. It could have been the underlying theme - of saving the forests, the life of the tribals.

Or more likely, it could even have been the simple fact that I was at a silly, sentimental, vulnerable age. Or it could just be the magic of Sai Paranjpye at work.

But whatever it was, it became one of my favourite movies. And it still is, even after I have watched hundreds of movies ever since. I haven't watched this movie again, nor have I even heard of it being spoken of, and I haven't even met anybody who has watched the movie. [Even now, in the age of Google and internet, I wasn't able to find any info on the movie - except for a few lines on the subject of the movie]. What a gigantic pity.

And oh, when the movie was screened, Milind Gunaji was an unknown actor. I had missed his name in the titles, and agonized over the name of the actor for a very long time. So, it was a pleasant surprise when I saw him in the trailer of Fareb. I lost no time in finding out who he is, and then finally, I put the name on the face.

So at last, I had something to tell my friends. "Papeeha" brought romance into my life, I said. But it didn't really make any difference. Nobody had heard of the movie, and the actors were nobodies. I was still the boring girl, until we all grew up and knew better ;).

Anyway, Papeeha is a beautiful movie! I would love to watch it again [and find out what effect it will have on me now, after more than ten years!]

119 comments:

Emma said...

This was a lovely post and a lot I could relate to. While I do have a passion for movies, I was never swept off my feet by any hero or the so-called romantic movies. My friends were aghast when they realized I hadn't watched Geetanjali even three months after it was released. I sure was a hopeless romantic and I think I still am.

I have always loved Sai Paranjape's movies. I think she was simply brilliant at capturing the finer nuances of relationships. I haven't seen Papeeha but given your description, I know I would really love to.

Viky said...

Nice post. Couldn't catch the links as office blocks imdb. I wonder what triggered this off...

Why the sudden romance and Papeeha and all the mush-mush?

Shruthi said...

Emma, Thank you! I guess I am an old-fashioned person when it comes to romance :) The only other movies that moved me this way were all Black and White movies :D
Geetanjali! Though I haven't watched it, I have virtually watched it 20 times - my hostelmate narrated the story to me 20 times - scene by scene, dialogue by dialogue -- I did not listen after the first narration - but it gave her so much joy that I let her speak :)
You are right. Sai Paranjpye also has this knack of observing the little details of middle class life - and that is why her movies are loved so much!

Viky: Oh, the other day there was a nostalgia show on NDTV - where they screened all those ads we grew up with - they also had a bit about Deepti Naval -Farooque Sheikh in Sai Paranjpye's fantastic movie Chashme Buddoor -- that led me to remember Papeeha, and I just HAD to write about it :)
Nothing else, don't get ideas ;)

Anonymous said...

Hey... I watched the movie too.. long back when it was screened on Doordarshan and loved it.

Inder said...

i think i too have watched 'papeeha' long ago. may be i watched it in bits and pieces... i don't remember much of it.

i love movies. i watch all sorts of movies :)

Shruthi said...

Anon: Wow, did you? :) Now do I know you?

Inder: Aha! :) Yeah I know you are a movie-lover :)

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... Your writing has made me to watch "Papeeha", Lemme try to get the cd...

Emma said...

Sorry that line in my comment should read - I never was a hopeless romantic and I still am not. :)

Shruthi said...

Shadow,if you do get the CD, please let me know where/how you got it :)

Emma, ohho, you said the total opposite of what you wanted to say, huh? You must have been pretty preoccupied ;)

Viky said...

1. WHHAAAT??? You haven't seen Geetanjali? No? And you talk of romance? Ohh Blasphemy!!! The songs - Oh Priya Priya... Aw!! Now I'll be singing this song all day...

2. Nothing else, don't get ideas, eh? And that too with a wink. There IS something fishy.

3. if you do get the CD, please let me know where/how you got it :) Tum aam khao no yaar, guThli kyon ginti ho? You want one, ask him to get one for you.

Viky said...

Oh and I forgot!!!!

4. Hostel mate bole to, woh changing waali?

Shruthi said...

Viky,
1) Won't I need subtitles for Geetanjali? Or am I missing something here? :O
2)Ayyo nijvaglu yenillappa!
3)I am not as shameless as you!
4)Changingwali hoti toh "roommate" kehti, "hostelmate" nahin! ;)

Viky said...

1. Kannada - gulti jasthi vetyasa illa. Poora artha agutte.
3. Shamelessaa!!! Yaake?
4. Ah, yes. *Sheepish grin*

Sudhakar said...

Telugu - kannada madya peddaga vatyasam ledu.. Purthiga artham avuthundi.

Sruthi: If you understand the above, you don't need any subtitles to watch Gitanjali.

travel plaza said...

Great post Shruthi. I love Sai Paranjape's movies. I believe there was even one teleserial of hers. Can't remember the name though. However, I do remember watching it and enjoying it. It was a comedy of some sort...wish I could remember the name. Winnie acted in that too.

PRIDERA said...

Have never been a movie buff and never a hopelessly romantic person.
I wish I had seen that NDTV program ... would love to hear if any ads featured in the program included the ones from the list in
AAM Admi AUR AD WORLD blog
http://pridera.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_pridera_archive.html

ankan said...

Oh Yes! Papeeha is a beautiful movie. It is one of those little known movies that I still remember. I am pleasantly surprised that there ARE people who remember a movie that was telecast on Doordarshan a decade ago!

If I remember correctly, there was a song which went something like :
"jhimar jhimar jhli jhili,
chirpitti mili re mili" which was followed by preparation of some chutney of ants (yummy!). Raghuveer Yadav also had a pretty strong role in this movie.

For all its shortcomings, DD did air some excellent stuff once in a while. Man, do I sound nostalgic or what!

Maverick said...

my romance started with yash chopra kinda movies n it still goes on.but sometimes when i admire a movie so much and decide to watch it once again , i feel very indifferent when i watch it, n worse sometimes i also wonder why did i liked the movie so much?hope papeeha wont do this to u,hope it'll make u admire it much more.

Shruthi said...

Viky, yeah I guess artha aagatthe :). Shameless because you are even suggesting such a thing, as asking someone so directly, without knowing front or back (Hinde munde gotthillade ;))

Sudhakar: Yup, I could understand that sentence - but only because it was written down, and I could read it again and again and understand it :) But in a movie? :) Anyway I will give it a shot!

Travel Plaza: Ahh yes, I think you are right - was it about NRIs? "NRI" was a brand new concept back then. Or am I confusing it with some other serial?
Anyway her movies are really good!

Shruthi said...

Pridera, That's a lovely, nostalgic list on your post! Yes, Lifebuoy and Nirma, and Liril were featured along with some others :) It was a very short program - but it was wonderful - I saw ads that I had last seen probably 20 years back!! :)

Ankan, Wowww... I don't believe you even remember that Chirpitti song!! I still remember that tune :) And to think it is about lice :D -- But you know, I don't remember the Ant Chutney! ;) -- Really really happy to see somebody who remembers the movie. Lovely movie, isn't it? :)
Yeah Raghuveer Yadav was also there, and he, as usual, was wonderful!
Ah, nostalgia is in the air!

Maverick, You are soooo right! I hope too, that if I get to watch it again, I won't be disappointed. But you know, Sai Paranjpye's movies have a kind of timeless quality that doesn't let you get bored with them very easily.

Bhargav said...

ha ha ha hu hu hu...swept off your feet!! Really? I dont remember movies having any such effect on me; until recently. It is the songs I listen to (Beatles of course) that might have shaped my romantic side (Ahem...). But still, I have to admit that two movies have influenced me lately(i.e. after coming here). They are Mr&Mrs Iyer and Pinjar. Nice stories and really amazing acting.

Anonymous said...

Ohh, I loved the song too. Chirpitti.
Any chance of finding the mp3?

Viky said...

Shru, Oh haage. Wokay. It was still just a plain, safe, simple request, adraLLi enide? *scratches head and shrugs "Well, Whatever"*

Shruthi said...

Bhargav, yes it did sweep me off my feet! Err.. and why is that funny? ;D
I like the movies you have mentioned too - Good ones, yes.

Mo, I can't even find Papeeha on the net - and Chirpitti? Gosh, we need to go to a collector, or maybe to Sai Paranjpye herself... aaah or yes, to Bhupen Hazarika! (He was the music director I think).

Viky, Okai, Okai, I get it :D

Mysorean said...

Papeeha... ah! I have this movie as one of the movies whose name I didn't remember but clearly remember the chirpy Winne Paranjpe and the serious Milind Gunaji and that entire movie. Like the one in kannada about the "kurinji" flower. Where our little kid goes to find that flower in the forest. The commonality being the 'forest' background to both.

There was a T.V.Serial directed by Sai Paranjpe called,"Panchi ek chawl ke" aur some such title which really loved. And the Paranjpes were my favourite then. Those were the days when the TV meant nothing but Doordarshan.

The craze grew to an all-time high because I watched "Chashme Baddoor" too at around the same time. And thought Sai Paranjpe was the ultimate in film-making.

Never heard about her after that!

Have you heard about something called "KANK"? I don't expect you to have seen it after reading your movie-going behaviour!

Btw, blogrolling you! I thought I had you blogrolled, but... Anyways, doing it rightaway! :)

Srik said...

I remember watching the movie Papeeha myself, though I dont remember anything of the actors or story line or anything...
I was too young to get all those things, leave alone the romance part of it :(

If I have to name a thing that taught 'romance' to me..then it must be the story of Ravindranth Tagore called "A wrong man in a worker's paradise". Yeah, no movie has had such an effect on me!! Unfortunately, I have not come across it's script in any library/even on google.
I'd love to read it again and see its effects on me, now. Does anyone has it? :), Please search.

Thanks for this wonderful post Shruti.

Srik said...

Adi,
it was "Hum panchi ek dal ke"
And it was a wonderfully witty series.
I remember the scene where families(especially females) transfer the goods like some tumblers, sugar powder from one house to another on a different floor by putting it in a container and tieing it to a rope(-way)!! It was a totally new concept and we tried out something like that later at our school.
Hillarious series. Yes, true, Paranjapes hold good all time.

Shruthi said...

Adi, Aha!! Hum Panchhi Ek Chawl Ke!! I remember that so well! :) I had forgotten that it was Sai's, though.
Glad you also know Papeeha :) I don't think Sai has made movies for a long time now. That is a pity!
Oh I do know KANK :) I haven't watched it, but nowadays I keep track of Bollywood!
And thank you :)

Srik, I don't believe it!! That is the FIRST thing I remembered about Hum Panchhi when Adi mentioned it -- transfering groceries! Phew!! That is amazing :)
Oh so you have also watched Papeeha? :)
I have not heard of that story of Tagore's that you mentioned. Will find out and let you know.

Mysorean said...

Srik:
Thanks for the correction!

Shruthi:
Generally, on the blogsphere, the protocol is that once u blogroll someone, they blogroll you in return! ;)
Get the point?! ;)
I can't get more direct than that!

Mysorean said...

And yeah Srik:

That transferring stuff from one house to another is something I also remember distinctly!

Anonymous said...

nice post !!! Papeeha is now on my list of "to watch" movies. Thanks.

Swapna said...

Nice post! I remember the first book and first movie that introduced me to romance - first movie was "Sound of Music" and first bollywood movie was "DDLJ". *sign* ... :)

Anonymous said...

haven't seen Papeeha, but what you mention at the start of your post, I too experienced that. So many folks took to the movies and talked so much about them that I hated movies growing up. The very concept - so powerful yet so misused - annoyed me. Eve teasing, violence, western influences, smoking, drinking - I strongly feel movies have helped 'grow' these.

I get to watch Sa Re Ga Ma Pa sometimes, they are doing a kids series these days. Look at 10 year olds singing all kinds of lyrics, and tell me if you feel odd about it.

I love the music though, and it is indeed sad that so much of great music had to be associated with so many 'horrible' movies.

Anonymous said...

I woul recomend another Sai Pranjape movie to all --'KATHA' its a fantastic movie with Beepti Naval-Naserrudin Shah- Farookh Sheikh , in thier best roles.

And yes Papeeha definetly is another classica from Sai

Shruthi said...

Adi, Yes, you can get more direct than that! You can say, "I have blogrolled you, so please please blogroll me in return!" :D
Anyway, I have my own little protocol in place ;) -- and it says that I add a blog on my blogroll only after I have been following that blog for a while, and see that I really enjoy it! Since I discovered your blog a very short time ago, there is still some time for that ;)

Hima, Thank you! :) I hope you enjoy the movie as much as I did ;)

Swapna, I loved The Sound of Music! :) And you know, a very close friend cites DDLJ as the movie that introduced her to romance! You should have seen her! For a week after she watched the movie, she was in some other world! :D

Silkboard, I know exactly what you mean!! I mean, a ten year old boy singing "Bheege honth tere"... funny! :)
And yes.. I also believe that Bollywood has helped encourage some pretty serious vices in society. That's an entire topic in itself!

Anon, Yes, I have watched Katha.. lovely movie... and there lots of other fantastic movies by Sai P - she was good at it! So you have watched Papeeha too? Great :) It's not that I liked Papeeha more than her other movies... it's just that this one affected me differently :)

Emma said...

I was at work when I posted that first comment - is it any wonder I made that mistake :)

Shruthi said...

Emma, I thought as much!! :D

Viky said...

New post, please !!!

Shruthi said...

Viky, Patience! We are busy! :)

Viky said...

Allright, Muhahahaha Shruthi ;). Now, you know why I said that, don't you? :D

Shruthi said...

Gotcha, Viky! :)

Viky said...

You're far far away. If I know you by now, I'll bet that snap was INTENTIONAL. ;)

Anonymous said...

I don't remember papeeha. But I confused it with another movie. In which there was Nana patekar. I dont' recollect. But it was sober kind of hindi movie ( not commercial is what i mean :D). Dont' recollect. It's like he lands up in a place where there is no rain. I think the actress is Winnie Paranjape. Not sure though. Any guesses on this movie ?

BTW this post was a good one :)

Anonymous said...

To Ashu:

I Think that movie you are referring to is, "Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen", which most people decided to skip.

I remember watching it in a hall with only about a dozen other people in the first week of it's release!.

Shruthi said...

Viky, Everything I do is intentional! :)

Ashu, Thank you! :)
Yup I remember that movie.... but not the details...

Anon coward, Sure that was the name? Wasn't it a remake of The Rainmaker?

Anonymous said...

To Shruthi :

That is the name of the movie and I believe that is what Ashu was referring to. I forgot the name of lead actress, super non-glamorous (or is it un-glamorous?) lady who used to act in Hindi serials.

Yes, you are right, it was "inspired" by Rainmaker.

Shruthi said...

Anon coward, a bit of googling tells me that the female lead was Anita Kanwar. I remember my father watchin the movie when it was aired on DD. I watched bits and pieces.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Anonymous and Shruthi!

It was thoda sa roomani ho jaye! :)

Shruthi said...

Ashu, :)

Anonymous said...

ah same happened to me when i watched Mitr.
But People say its a boring movie.
So i say Papeecha is a boring one indeed. :)

Shruthi said...

Mukund, ah, I see we have a professor of logic here! Inverted logic, though.

Shivam said...

Winnie paranjpe was my favorite actress when i was young (was only 6 years old) another actresses were anita kanwal, smita patil (well very mature choice for that age) Sai paranjpe is my favorite director of all times (after khrishikesh mukherjee) and i used to watch all of his movies twice or thrice. I was only 11 when papiha was aired and it thouched me a lot beautiful simple story with great script.

Shivam said...

i think the movie you are referring to as a remake of rainmaker was named "thoda sa rumani ho jayein"

Anonymous said...

Oh my shruti...u have revoked such beautiful memories ..even i was 11-12 i guess when i saw this movie today after 15 yrs i was just sudenly thinkiong abt it ...took abt an hour of google search to find any info on papeeha...did u get hold of that movie ever agian?if so pls let me know where to find it ..I would be more than glad to get hold of a copy

tris said...

Have you seen Paranjpye's Angoota Chaap.

Anonymous said...

Shruti
Papeeha was indeed a good sweet movie. I remember watching it when I was a teen when it was aired on DD and I loved the movie. I was just googling for this movie to see if there was any VCD or DVD version available so that I could watch it again when I stumbled on your post. I am getting nostalgic...
For me Pride and Prejudice the book followed by its Hindi serial version was when romance stepped into my life:)

Anonymous said...

Hey Guys...

I am too excited after reading all these posts...

You guys know what!!! I was part of the cast crew... and am checking the best way to contact "Sai mavashi" and get a copy. I moved to US and wondering if I can get CR/DVD to purchase online...

I am really proud of being part this great movie and whenver I tell everybody that I acted in film as a child actor and talk about Papeeha... no wonder everybody remember this movie!!!

Cheers guys... Could you please mail me if DVD/VCD available at sonawale@gmail.com


Cheers... Prashant Sonawale

Anonymous said...

I had watched the film also ....
I completely agree in the fact that there are actually very few persons who have watched the film or have liked it. It remains to date one of my favorite movies with another lesser known movie by the name of "Mujhse dosti karoge" -- an old film centering around a child who has but only one passion--- to make friends.

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe this.I was one of the few people who saw that one telecast of Papeeha on doordarshan and instantly fell head over heels in love with Gunaji.I spent days talking about it and in fact just today I was mourning over the fact at the quality of acting with a friend.I just happened to watch Jodha Akbar and in spite of the grandeur,the so called 'perfect' cast,there was still something amiss......I thought about it hard and tried to think of a simple movie where romance came naturally and spread to the viewers mind like a disease.....I just got reminded of Papeeha......Thanx for giving this masterpiece a nice tribute.

Anonymous said...

btw does anyone have the slightest idea where one can get a dvd or cd of papeeha.

Unknown said...

i hope the blogger reads this..I was in exactly same situation as you in my school days, i never knew amir/salman/shahrukh khans..but my friends knew. The only way i would get to know what romance is was a movie, and it came through papeeha. I loved the movie and loved milind gunaji..when i went to school next morning most of my friends turned their khan coats only to fall for him! We all expressed what we could, lot of it remained unexpressed. After so many years when i was searching for this movie frantically i saw your blog and it resonated with my thoughts so well, that i got back my past sweet memories. Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts for an wonderful yet unnoticed work of sai paranjpe.

Chaos said...

I was going through your blogs and just had to comment on this one! I watched the same movie on Doordarshan one hot summer afternoon and cried when the heroine decides to go to USA. This one had Mills and Boons written all over it and gave me quite the jitters! I did not know the name of the movie and now I do thanks to you!

I blog at cluelessness.wordpress.com

Shivam said...

sometime when i remember those days i always say "bhagwan mujhe kyon bada kiya" and i dont know why but whenever i remember those days i see my memories in sepia tone and very few time in black and white.

Anonymous said...

I worked on the art direction and the costumes for papeeha,and raghu used to call his outfit(a gamcha,an arm band and langot/loincloth)his three piece suit!An honest film,straight from the heart,excellent script,Sai at her best.I'm sure Sai has cdsof the film(she sold vhs tapes in those days!)

Anonymous said...

Heyyy .. me and tow of my school friends were completely dreamy eyed after this movie too .. I have always loved jeeps since that movie.. and miling gunaji was the ultimate man .. good to see there are others too who thought the same...

Anonymous said...

Oh yes!! it has been years back when I watched this a very simple but very touching movie. I thaught I must have been only fool watching the film and getting exalted by this a non flashy simple simpleton love story. There was something in that movie that years after that movie which I saw on doordarhsan I still remember quite vividly.
I felt so happy that there are some people also who are touched by unconventional, simple films
Rajneesh Vashisht

Rajneesh said...

Oh yes!! it has been years back when I watched this a very simple but very touching movie. I thaught I must have been only fool watching the film and getting exalted by this a non flashy simple simpleton love story. There was something in that movie that years after that movie which I saw on doordarhsan I still remember quite vividly.
I felt so happy that there are some people also who are touched by unconventional, simple films
Rajneesh Vashisht

Anonymous said...

Hello Shruti,
Love you for opening such a topic. Ifell in love with this movie. I was in seventh grade when I watched it alongwith my siters. Fell in love with whole concept of love in the jungle and also liked the fact that it was between two individuals who were committed to an idea and their jobs. Most of the characters in romance stories don't have anything else to feel passionate about other than their lover, but this movie was more realistic, showed two real people doing their job earnestly and also meeting somebody intersting in the process.

The issue of environmental degradation and the human link to it was also potrayed very nicely. Hats of to the whole team of Papeeha. I have no clue if DD ever aired it again, May be we shd have a SP festival so that all her films are shown to boarder audience.

Anonymous said...

Hello Shruthi, I accidentally chanced upon your blog as I was looking up Papeeha. I have never watched the movie but heard of it from another friend who is just as crazy about 'good movies' as I and is a big fan of Paranjapee's work, like you.

I just want to comment that, I connected with your other movie choices as well, both Jaane Bhi do Yaron and Anand. Great movie! I still watch hundreds of them every year. Mostly non Indian films but some Indian films are just so beautifully Indian that I am proud of them. These movies cannot be translated into anything other than an Indian language, because they remain intertwined with indian culture and yet retain a 'wordly quality' about them. Baawarchi is another one of them.

Also, I want to say that you write very well.

wishing you happy writing and many many readers.....

best,

Anon

Mangala said...

Love this post, and can identify cos I was completely out of it during my teens too. Looks like most ppl who become full-fledged readers early in life get that way :) Romance on celluloid entered my life with "1942 A Love Story" - and I promptly went overboard and watched it 5 times! Like you, what captured my imagination was the setting and background story as much as the romance.

If ever you get hold of Papeeha, put me down on the list of ppl wanting to borrow it :)

austere said...

Have seen Katha, but not this... will look in the stores. May be youtube too.

Seventy comments oooh la la!

Anonymous said...

Hi Shruti,
Thanks for posting this. I clearly remember watching this movie in DD on the wake of Rajiv Gandhi. When I spoke about it to my friends, there was only of my friends who watched it and she too like me and you were drawn fiercely into the uncanny depth of romance watching this movie. I guess the others didn't watch it because of unknown cast, or they didn't even expect DD to telecast a good romantic movie on such a sad occasion. Anyway, it remained in my mind ever since that night, but didn't get a chance to see it again.
Recently I started watching this show called 'Geet hui sabse parayi' in star one which is also an intense romantic drama. And the hero Gurmeet Choudhary reminds me of Milind Gunaji. This made me nostalgic and there I come across your blog!!! thanks for posting it. And alas, I cannot find the movie anywhere in the net...

cheers,
Neha

Anonymous said...

Hi Shruthi! Thanks for the post on Papeeha ! I could so relate to what you have written. My story is similar to yours. Romance came into my my via Papeeha. I was desperately searching for Papeeha on Google when I came across your post. I'm glad there are so many ppl here who liked Papeeha as much as I did. Only wish there was some way we could get to watch the film once again ! If anyone has a clue where we can see Papeeha again, plz post it here ... guess all the Papeeha lovers will somehow manage to get the news :)

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone !

I just got this link which says you can download "Papeeha" for free, but then they are also asking for credit card info ... so I chickened out :( ....

[URL=http://watchallyoucan.com/movies/detail/Papeeha-1993] Papeeha (1993) [/URL]

Unknown said...

Hi,
Was googling for the song zimir zimir zili zili and came across your post. Very nicely written post. Good old doordarshan days, really there is no trace of the song on internet.

Anonymous said...

Hi there ! being a big fan of Sai Paranjpye and while searching for a way to obtain the 'papeeha' movie I came across this site. It seems that like you quite liked the film. Is there any way one could lay their hands on a CD or something? There seem to be no online links that work. I remember watching this movie wayy back in 1993-94 when I was quite young and now just remember that there was a good looking guy in it whom my elder sister admired a lot. It would be great if we could watch this movie again.

Keep writing :)

-Mallika (New Delhi)

Anonymous said...

Hi there ! being a big fan of Sai Paranjpye and while searching for a way to obtain the 'papeeha' movie I came across this site. It seems that you quite liked the film. Is there any way one could lay their hands on a CD or something? There seem to be no online links that work. I remember watching this movie way back in 1993-94 when I was very young and can now just remember that there was a good looking guy in it (Milind Gunaji) whom my elder sister admired a lot. It would be great if we could watch this movie again.

Keep writing :)

-Mallika (New Delhi)

Rajarshi said...

hey...was tryin' to find a torrent link for papeeha and in stead came across ur post...i guess it was the forest more than winney paranjpye that caught my imagination when i saw the movie....and yeah, that was the only time i saw papeeha....guess, all of the DD generation was watchin' it at the same time as they didn't have too many options.....so, don't feel alone....

Anonymous said...

well, i am another 'Papeeha' fan googling songs like Zimir Zimir Zili zili' and 'dilwala jungle hamaar, maango to dega hazaar' have no clue where to get the movie CD from have been trying for years! :-(
What a wonderfully romantic movie it was!
Aparna

dsp said...

hi nice post brought tears............i felt that you have written what i wanted to write.......

Anonymous said...

I too watched papeeha on tv and was swept off my feet ... all that u have written resonates withme so much... i suddenly remembered about this movie and wanted to watch it again ... came to search for papeeha movie ..and saw your post... thank u so much for reliving the magic of papeeha...am overwhelmed to see that there r others like me who were so touched by the movie...

Anonymous said...

I remember watching Papeeha.. was such a sweet romance.. and I fell for Ms Paranjpe too.. was too vulnearble and age that was!
I believe Mr Hazarika compose the music.

LTKotian said...

Hi,
I was so surprised that someone felt so passionate about this movie!!
Infact, i dont know anybody in my circle who has watched this movie.

My favourite scene is when the tribal woman tells Winnie the reason the lice comb is presented to a girl. She says, " Oh i didnt know this" and Milind gunaji replies, " but i knew it!" Oh! that killer smile he gives!
I can truly understand how you feel. Its funny but i was just a teen then and I fantasized that i was in Winnie's place....
Thanks for posting...
By the way, I came across your blog while searching for details of Papeeha. I happened to see Gunaji in one of Byomkesh Bakshi's episode on youtube...

...Lata K.

Anonymous said...

I remember seeing this movie during my holidays. Sunday night I think, on Doordarshan of course. I watched it with my grandpa, one of the earliest movies I remember seeing, which ran late into the night. I swore that would never forget the name of the movie, back then i didnt even know what the title meant not being a native speaker of hindi. I remember the red ants chutney scene . I have so wished to watch the movie again.

Swetha said...

I was up at this late hour trying to google this movie after a decade, as you rightly said - it was the first whiff of romance. And all the while I kept thinking, I am the only person who watched this movie on DD that day and no one else has even heard of this movie. Phew! What a relief. Sadly, there are no you tube videos but reading your post made my day.

divya said...

I saw this movie, though I didnt remembered the name. I agree it is a very sweet movie, kind of movie which transforms u back to ur growing years, makes u nostalgic about that time. It is such a simple movie that it makes u blend with itself.

Qaseem Abbasi said...

PAPEEHA (1993) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fPmxaenHX0

BHakti said...

Wonderful post. I was googling the movie Papeeha and your blog link came up. You worded how I felt watching the movie so many years ago. Like you I have been searching for the movie too. Now looking back as a grown woman to the teen me I think the allure of the characters was that they appeared to be complete individuals with sound professions coming together in the journey of life. The forest I feel added a quality of dreaminess to the story. I wish I could see the movie again, but the magic that Sai Paranjpe wove with it still stays with me some 15 years later.

Prathibha said...

Thanks for refreshing some nostalgic memories. I remember watching some late night movies that Doordarshan used to broadcast and for some reason I remembered Papeeha and only one scene from the movie where the tribal people comment on heroin "Kitni gori hai" or something similar when they see her for the first time. And other bits and pieces that I could recall is it was shot in forest and I loved the lead characters and charming love story. Mammo was another movie I recently craved to watch that I recalled from DD days and found it on youtube. But not able to find Papeeha anywhere though! I will see if I can order from Amazon. Thanks for writing this blog... :)

Prajnita said...

I love the movie papeeha! My parents took us kids( aged about 12 and 10) to the childrens film festival which aired this movie. I have such fond memories of the movie.. I just saw it once but the impact is for a lifetime. Thanks for such a sweet review. Couldn't agree more. But can anyone tell me where can I get the DVD? Or a copy? Or anything?

Girija Godbole said...

It was so nice to read all the posts about the film Papeeha. The story was more or less based on Marathi novel 'Paradh' (Hindi translation was published as 'Akhet') written by my father late Jagdish Godbole. I am not sure if he was given credit for it publicly or not. Today is his 16th death anniversary...

Unknown said...

I don't know why but I just dreamt of the movie papeeha which I had watched on late night DD,was looking to bookmark the movie on YouTube to watch it tomorrow evening but I came to this post. One of my first crushes was this movie's actress...but now if I look at the movie the lady looks hedious..lol...the western television has played havoc with my concept of beauty. :(

Unknown said...

I dreamt of this movie just a short while ago and was searching on you tube to bookmark it to watch tomorrow evening and I stumbled upon this post as so many of us...:) my first experience of pure love at a tender age of 9 was through this movie...I was in love with the actress and now having been fed with western TV for so many years the actress seemed hedious to me...lol...I am the product of western TV and I am hating it... :(

Basic Intuition said...

I watched this movie a long time back as a kid and never knew it's name to watch it again. I remember this scene where she gets these pills to purify water for drinking purposes. And I really wanted to buy those. Thank you for refreshing those memories. It's a lovely and innocent movie.

Anonymous said...

Papeeha is a very underrated movie. And I think what carries it is that unconventional romance between Kabir and Jia. Well written, took me back to those 90s!

Unknown said...

Its a wonderful story...I can only imagine how the real novel would feel! May your father be happy where ever he is.

Aps said...

So I come across this blog from my search on papeeha. It was the movie that i saw on dd and just got glued to it. Never saw it again. If anyone finds the cd of it Pls let me know too

NIDHI said...

I am literally crying... have been searching for this movie since ages. And today I found your blog... I was a young kids when I saw this movie. I am desperate to see it again so that I could revisit those golden days of my childhood, that Era of 1990's.. please if someone can help me with a genuine link to watch it online or to download it, would really be grateful ��

NIDHI said...

I am literally crying... have been searching for this movie since ages. And today I found your blog... I was a young kids when I saw this movie. I am desperate to see it again so that I could revisit those golden days of my childhood, that Era of 1990's.. please if someone can help me with a genuine link to watch it online or to download it, would really be grateful !!!

BINA SENGAR said...

Was in XII Standard when saw this movie and instantly loved everything about it. Certainly it also becamr major reason I began my studies and career in tribal studies... :)

BINA SENGAR said...

Hope our discussions will lead for re-screening of this movie and may get to have it in our collections soon. Best

Unknown said...

Oh i can relate to your article.. was in high school when i saw this movie.. i still can't get few lines of the songs out of my head.soo romantic...Your post helped me figure out the name of the movie.. Thanks..

Mamatha Inamdar said...

very very beautiful movie, me and my sister watched the movie together. I tried to get a copy of this movie but in vain. Can anyone tell me where I can watch/buy this movie?

Mamatha Inamdar said...

very very beautiful movie, me and my sister watched the movie together. I tried to get a copy of this movie but in vain. Can anyone tell me where I can watch/buy this movie?

Manoj Z said...

Lol. If I am not wrong it wasn't about chutney of the ants, but finding the lice in hair while combing. And the symbolic representation of Milind Gunaji found his 'chirpitti' in Paranjape.
BTW, I googled this song but found nothing on internet. Landed on this nostalgic article!
Thank you everyone for sharing in.

Anonymous said...

After all this time and so many comments, none of us have been able to find a copy of the movie, that is so sad.
I wish Doordarshan would re-telecast all those wonderful movies

Anusha said...

Please do share the movie with us if possible. It is not available anywhere else. The songs were fabulous too

Lolitha said...

Awesome Shruti. Eager to watch it again in 2019 after decades.

Anonymous said...

I was forced to remember this movie as I watched Milind Gunaji in a TV serial yesterday.I viewed the film in Television probably 23 years ago and the film did make a mark in my mind due to overall acting direction story telling etc.

Shalvika said...

I absolutely absolutely LOVE this movie! I think Doordarshan used to screen these gems which got lost with the satellite mass entertainment. And the song 'Jhimar jhumar jhili jhili chirpitti mili re mili' is just engraved in my memory!!! Thank you for this amazing post

Manoj Z said...

Finally found the clip!
https://youtu.be/AHb-vbH4u0s

Manoj Z said...

Here is the full movie
https://youtu.be/K9mQb6dSVMo

Shruthi said...

Manoj this is amazing! I'm sure all the people on this comments section will be as thrilled with this news as I am. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

What a chance to stumble on this post. I suddenly got into thinking about good old days of telefilms and remembered Papeeha. Very nostalgic! Thanks Shruti for writing so aptly. I can only hope that such films are made again.

Sudipta Ray said...

Found the movie on youtube https://youtu.be/K9mQb6dSVMo

Life said...

Omg. I didn’t know that there was separate fan base for this movie. That’s my first subtle angst romance movies where it happens in a very natural way. Thank you for your blog and if after so many years or someone has the movie please please share it with all.

Life said...

I am not able to open the link. Not sure if it’s restricted in my area but let me know if you can open it.

Anonymous said...

Does it work for you ? It’s not opening for me

Shruthi said...

Ah, unfortunately, the video doesn't seem to be available anymore. It was available for a time.

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