Based on the novel by VijayadanDetha. A wedding party on its way home, stops to rest under a banyan tree on which lives a ghost. The bride lifts her veil and the ghost falls in love with her. Soon after they arrive, the groom has to go away on a business trip for five long years. He passes under the same banyan tree, and the ghost, surprised and curious, takes on the guise of a man to find out his destination. Once he knows the situation, he takes the form of the young man, and goes to the village home. To explain his return to the business-minded father, he invents the story of a saint who has promised him five gold coins if he stays at home. But to the bride he tells the truth. The young woman accepts her ghostly lover and they live together for three years. When she is pregnant at last, her real husband, surprised by the news, hurries home. The father and the villagers are confronted with two identical sons... Also see our Paheli pictures lower down on this page.

A peacock spreads its mesmerizing wings underneath the scorching blue-Sky; vibrant puppets descend from the gnarled branches of an ancient tree; golden sands of an endless desert keep on swirling, and a beautiful folk tale from Rajasthan comes to life.

Summer releases are on their way and for sure, the industry is looking for major hits. A movie that is creating some curiosity is Paheli directed by Amol Palekar. What’s interesting with this film is that it doesn’t have the feel of a real, all-out commercial film, especially when stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, and other well-known artists are involved.

Paheli is based on a legendary story “Duvidha” written by stalwart Vijaydan Detha. This writer added comtemporary dimensions in his story that stand monumental in Indian literature. Can this novel be a hit on the screen decades after it was written? If Devdas could, why can’t Paheli?

The story is simple, but the film will examine human as well as eternal relationships. A lovely young girl named Lachchi (Rani Mukherji) gets married, but her husband runs off on their wedding night because he is greedy to make money. Unknown to anyone, a ghost, Kishen, (Shah Rukh Khan) falls in love with her and takes on the husband’s appearance for years. Until one day . . . the husband returns to the village and there is confusion as to what’s going on. Can a woman choose between her husband that she does not know and a ghost who could provide the love she desires? That’s the riddle (Paheli) to be solved this June where Amitabh Bachchan plays a key in solving the mystery.

It is the story of a young girl called Lacchi (Rani Mukerji) who gets married to a merchant.

On its way home, the wedding party takes a much needed break under a banyan tree little knowing that it is the habitat of a ghost.

As the newly wedded Lacchi lifts her veil, the ghost falls in love with her innocence and beauty.

But on the wedding night itself, the groom leaves home for five long years on account of his business.

Meanwhile the ghost gets to learn about this when the groom takes a break under the same banyan tree.

So the ghost takes the guise of the husband and enters Lacchi's life. It is not long before she is pregnant.

A few years later when the husband returns home, the villagers and the relatives are bewildered to see two of the same people.

How this situation gets resolved forms the crux of Paheli.

It is a film which shows the dilemma of a girl who had to choose between the ghost's eternal love and her husband's insensitive feelings.

The highlight of this film is a sequence involving a camel race which has been shot in the scenic deserts of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

Shah Rukh Khan was so impressed with the script that he not only decided to produce the film but also managed to get Bollywood's best - Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherji and Juhi Chawla- to work in the film.

Also it is the first time that director Amol Palekar used sync sound in this movie.

With larger than life sets and special effects, this film is worth seeing when it releases this June 2005 in cinemas across the UK.