- Date of Release: 06 February 2026
- Genre: Drama
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Paro Pinaki Ki Kahani
Introduction
The subtext in the Hindi film Paro Pinaki Ki Kahaani lies in the identities of its characters. Pinaki (Sanjay Bishnoi) is a manhole cleaner, Mariyam (Eshita Singh) is a vegetable vendor, and their names are enough to highlight the different religious communities that they belong to, as well. In other words, it is a match against every norm defined by the society – something that is laced with tragedy from its onset. But it is also ironic on how you see the couple meeting for the first time in a train bathroom – an intimate space in itself that is locked away from the real world. Their backgrounds don’t allow the characters to be flustered with the dingy setting – instead embracing the moments of intimacy that they get to share, even whilst harbouring dreams of upgrading to a hotel room someday. Life is hard and love is discreet, but the walls created between the duo in the real world is miraculously vanished inside the dingy bathroom – a track that reminded me of Anu and Shiaz’s equation in Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light (2024). But how long can love last in a society that is rotting?
Story & Screenplay
Written by Rudra Jadon, one of the biggest selling points of Paro Pinaki Ki Kahani is the characterization – given how both Pinaki and Mariyam are marginalized by the society is some sense. The latter is due to her religious identity, and the former is due to his occupation of a manhole cleaner. In a scene, you see Pinaki talking about education, a privilege that he didn’t quite recognize in his formative years, only to regret it during his current situation. And yet, his love for Mariyam remains both unconditional and hopeful, almost like an antidote for the rotting situation he finds himself in. For Mariyam, her religious identity along with a gender bias forms the crux of her trouble – in a scene, you see giving some boys a earful for stalking her. And yet, she remains hopeful of a better life with Pinaki. This until a tragedy strikes.
From the onset, the drama unfolds like a Shakespearean tragedy. If there were warring families involved, the drama would be Romeo and Juliet. But this is also where some of the flaws in the writing creep up. For instance, the sudden disappearance of Mariyam is a pivotal plot-point but the tonal shift is abrupt – there needed to be a connective scene that would have ideally tied up the loose ends on either sides of the subplots. It took me a while to settle into the shift, something that also has undertones of absurdity to it. In a prior scene when the cops refuse to lodge Pinaki’s complaint, he decides to weave a story around a missing gold chain by utilizing the rise of Islamophobia, just so that Mariyam’s house could be checked by the cops. The goal remains to find Mariyam even at the cost of framing her father, and the subplot works individually but the tonal shift felt jerky.
One issue that I had with the structure of the screenplay was on how it didn’t wish to commit to one particular track and build on it. The idea here remained slightly scattered while running in different directions. As a result, the political undertones remained half-baked even when the hunt is on for Mariyam. And when the latter is eventually found, the needle of conflict shifts in a different direction – thereby giving a relevant but different angle to the larger conflict. Yes, the subplot works individually – make no mistake – but as a viewer you remain slightly unsettled. Along the way, you do feel for the couple and the journey that they have been through whilst rooting for them even during a tense chase, despite fearing the worst. And that definitely cuts through the flaws while making the proceedings fairly interesting.
The ‘Paro’ in the title of the film remains a metaphor for a tragedy (Paro is the name given to girls sold to men in a particular village), and that automatically makes Pinaki a modern day ‘Devdas’. This Devdas isn’t an alcoholic or a loser in life, while always wanting the best for his love. And so, the final act remains on the hustle that Pinaki puts forth even as his ‘Paro’ silently waits for him while enduring multiple occasions of a physical assault. The Shakespearean tragedy takes full form here, even whilst highlighting the struggles of Pinaki to find a job – or more specifically, a manhole cleaner wanting to ‘fit’ into the society with a normal chore.
The end is tragic but in the same breath, it felt abrupt too – never fully realising the emotional journey of its characters. I wished the struggle to be fleshed out a little more, or a case of longing being infused in the narrative for the two characters – both of which were in play but in lesser quantities. Nevertheless for the issues that it tackles, I wish to be a little kinder to some of the flaws in the narrative, something that nudges you and makes a case for an urgent watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational while accounting well for bouts of emotions along the way. The music perfectly encapsulates the mood of the drama, ably flowing accordingly to the shifty tone. The BGM is a bit of a letdown here, flattening some pivotal moments in the screenplay even as the background score is overtly used to enunciate every small moment. The cinematography is gritty, allowing the frames to capture the rawness of the drama. A shoutout to the makeup department who managed to impress with intrinsic detailing of the character of Mariyam (the actor Eshita Singh looks completely different in real life, marking a nod of brilliance to the makeup and prosthetics department).
The editing pattern remains a big drawback here. The style remains choppy, something that is further exposed given that there are no transition scenes along the way. As a result, even the tone of the drama feels jerky, never always allowing you to settle in the drama. Director Rudra Jadon does a decent job in stringing an important drama, while touching upon various social themes along the way. While his direction isn’t always focused, the subplots work in isolation even as you are fairly connected to the characters along the way. Yes some glaring flaws include an abrupt ending, but the journey although bumpy is still worth the ride.
Performances
The performances are pretty good by the members of the cast. Hanuman Soni as Anwar is intimidating despite his character lacking some meat. He has a psychological impact on the viewer’s psyche with his antics that are frightening to witness. Sanjay Bishnoi as Pinaki brings a sense of charm and grit with his messured act. This role required a physicality of a different kind – from stepping into potholes without inhibitions, and adding sensitivity with traces of absurdity to his character, all while having to maintain a string of emotions throughout. And Sanjay does a wonderful job with the same here. Eshita Singh looks unrecognizable as Mariyam, literally getting into the skin of her character and putting forth a commendable act. The degree of emotions are more palpable through her character given that she is at the receiving end of the physical assault at a particular juncture. And she uses her expressions to great effect in conveying the plight of her character. She was a treat to witness here.
Conclusion
Paro Pinaki Ki Kahani is not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination. And yet it boasts of strong performances that elevate a flawed but important social drama that makes for an urgent watch. For the issues that it tackles, I wish to be a little kinder to some of the flaws in the narrative, in a drama that nudges you and makes a case for a poignant watch. Available in a theatre near you.