Vijaya Mehta (Rao Saheb) returns with another story of human frailty. Set in the Parsi community of the late 1950s, Pestonjee tells the story of Piroisha (Naseeruddin Shah), the self-appointed conscience of everyone around him and especially of his closest friend Pestonjee. While loving Jeroo (Shabana Azmi) he hesitates to propose and so loses her to his friend. Nevertheless he continues to love them both over the years and prays for their health, happiness, and the blessing of children. But life moves on and people change-except for Piroisha, and it is only on Pestonjee's death that he comes to realize that life is messy, painful, and people imperfect. With a simple but beautifully constructed script, a meticulous recreation of the Parsi bourgeoisie, and an impressive performance by Shah as a man out of step with his times, Mehta has woven a moving tale of the small and large events that shape and change people's lives.-Sheila Whitaker, London Film Festival