Starring: Tamannaah Bhatia, Vijay Varma, Neena Gupta, Mrunal Thakur, Angad Bedi, Amruta Subhash, Tillotama Shome, Kajol, Kumud Mishra
Directors: R. Balki, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sujoy Ghosh and Amit Ravindernath Sharma
A compendium of short films woven around one theme often results in a patchy overall outcome, with varying degrees of audience impact. This collection of four short films which hit Netflix recently, following a successful first outing of ‘Lust Stories’ back in 2018, seems to offer a similar scenario.
The quartet opens with R. Balki’s take on a family looking forward to a grand family wedding, arranged to what the parents believe is perfection. Surprisingly, it is the oldest member of the family who throws the spanner in the works of this proposed union warning the youngsters to ensure their compatibility ticks the right boxes across all spheres of marital life. The grandmother (Neena Gupta) has some invaluable nuggets for her granddaughter Veda (Mrunal Thakur) and her would-be husband Arjun (Angad Bedi). Will the infatuated pair muddle through her advice to find true love in time for the wedding bells?
The second short, under the direction of Konkana Sen Sharma, centres around a mirror and all that it reflects. When Isheeta’s (Tillotama Shome) intense bout of migraine forces her home early from work one afternoon, she coincidentally walks into a very private aspect of her maid Seema’s (Amruta Subhash) life. Ignoring the forceful advice of a friend over the phone (Sen Sharma), Isheeta finds herself venturing down an extremely disconcerting path. Will she get caught in the act?
This complex exploration is followed by Sujoy Ghosh’s metaphysical film that involves many aspects of forbidden love. Vijay Chawhan (Vijay Varma) finds himself stranded when his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. While it is being repaired, he suddenly finds himself face to face with his ex-wife Shanti (Tamannaaah Bhatia). But the only catch is that Shanti had died, or so he believed. So, what actually is the truth?
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And, at the very end, we get Amit Sharma’s haunting tale of an unhappy and even violent marriage. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling haveli, the story unfolds with Devyani Singh (Kajol) quietly suffering at the hands of a violent husband (Kumud Mishra). When her past as a courtesan meanders into her present, Devyani hits upon the perfect revenge. But is it all that perfect in the end?
As is the case with most anthologies, this one is equally uneven in its rhythm and audience connect. While it is tough to pick a favourite, perhaps it is Kajol’s spot-on performance that gives her version some added gravitas. But by the time you get to the fourth chapter, there isn’t that much enthusiasm left for the varying styles of storytelling.
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Neena Gupta as the grandmother and the surprise in store at the end of Sujoy Ghosh’s tale deserve a special mention too. On the whole, it is an engaging cinematic quartet that covers a range of emotions and issues across class divides.