During her reflections, Balan recounted a delightful moment with veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, who is the mother of her co-star Saif Ali Khan. She expressed her excitement about meeting Tagore on set, saying, “I was thrilled to see her. I absolutely adore her. We greeted each other as if we were old friends, and Saif’s reaction was priceless. He exclaimed, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you knew each other.’ I replied, ‘I know her, she doesn’t know me.’ That memory still brings a smile to my face. Saif has such a wonderful sense of humor, always making us laugh with his witty remarks.”
Reflecting on her experiences with Sarkar, Balan described him as the cornerstone of her early acting education. “Dada was the bedrock of everything I learned in my formative years. His meticulous attention to detail was extraordinary; he would do numerous takes not only for performances but also to ensure that pigeons flew at the right moment or leaves fell perfectly outside the window. He believed in finding rhythm in every aspect,” she shared.
Balan elaborated on how Sarkar’s pursuit of perfection deepened her understanding of acting. “There was a time I did 28 takes just to synchronize a teardrop with a line in a song. That was the level of precision he expected. His mentorship taught me to observe, absorb, and appreciate every nuance of the craft. Even my hairstylist, Shalaka, who has been with me for two decades, learned from Dada the significance of balance and detail. That was his legacy to all of us.”
'Parineeta', set in 1960s Kolkata, narrates the love story of childhood friends Lalita (Balan) and Shekhar (Khan), whose relationship faces challenges when Shekhar’s father aims to acquire Lalita’s uncle's property for a hotel. When Lalita discovers this plan, family friend Girish (Dutt) intervenes, leading to a significant misunderstanding between the two lovers.
The film has undergone restoration by Prasad Film Labs and is poised for a special re-release, celebrating 20 years since its original launch.
