Jun 18, 2018 10:46 PM
25231 Views
I had seen a Netflix film before and had liked it. Randomly amused and curious by the title, I gave this one also a try. It turned out to be not what I expected for reasons that will become clear as my review goes on, but at the same time it is probably an interesting scrutiny of somewhat realistic stories, which are probably part and parcel of some people’s lives.
THE MAIN CAST
Radhika Apte -> Story 1, Female teacher
Akas Thosar -> Story 1, Male student
Bhumi Pednekar -> Story 2, Maid servant
Neil Bhoopalam -> Story 2, Bachelor
Manisha Koirala -> Story 3, Wife
Sanjay Kapoor -> Story 3, Husband
Jaideep Ahlawat -> Story 3, Couple’s friend
Vicky Kaushal -> Story 4, Male lover
Kiara Advani -> Story 4, Female lover
THE BASIC PLOT
The film contains 4 different stories directed 4 different directors - Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akthar, Dibakar Bannerjee and Karan Johar.
STORY 1 – This is about a female teacher who is frustrated about all her failed relationships. She ends up having an intense affair with a complaisant male student and is not really able to let go of him. She sees him as imaginary solace amidst all her other failings and tries to get over involved in the student’s life in an effort to convince herself that all is well between them. The male student is torn between her and another friend.
STORY 2 – This is about a bachelor who lives alone and is having a full-fledged affair with his maid servant. The story mostly focuses on the tragic life the servant leads, who is placed on a pedestal while the bachelor’s family is away. She is subsequently reduced to common servant while his family comes to visit him and it’s difficult for her to deal with the double standards she must endure.
STORY 3 – This is about an estranged wife and husband, who happen to have a common male friend. They are not happy with their marriage and the wife is having an affair with this mutual friend. It is difficult for the mutual friend to be supportive of both, along with having his affair. It ultimately leads to the protagonist coming clean about the happenings and things still ending in a surprisingly amicable manner.
STORY 4 – Most light-hearted of the 4 stories. It’s about 2 lovers who eventually marry. They are happy with each other in most regards. But while the husband is quite upbeat with the sexual aspect of his life, the wife desires more. All these pent up desires of the wife ultimately lead to an uncontrollable emotional display in front of the boy’s family, on one occasion. That leads to the couple’s estrangement.
THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE FILM
1) One thing I understood upon seeing this, is that it is a candid introspection on various troubled relationships which also involves "lust". I’d prefer to call it that, rather than “lust stories” even though the content is more explicit than usual.
2) As far as acting performances are concerned, the ensemble did well. But maybe Radhika Apte’s performance stands out more than others. She really made the frustrated and troubled woman’s portrayal her own and it seemed quite creepy and natural.
I think Neha Dhupia also puts in a good supporting turn, like she usually does, in the fourth story.
3) There are many characters in the 4 short stories and the viewer may not have enough time to connect with them by their names. One would just identify with the characters, which is why I’ve listed the main cast above by their functional roles.
4) I think all 4 stories were portrayed well by respective directors – They achieve the main goal of conveying the fighting scenario / circumstances the main protagonists have to undergo in their relationships.
5) It is not meant to be a suspense flick as such, even though I knew nothing about the film when I saw it. Some of the events when they unfold, may surprise you a bit.
6) There are a few comical / entertaining scenes in the first and fourth story, although it also stems from what the protagonists are undergoing / who they are, rather than solid intent.
7) The script is good. It suited the respective characters in their respective roles in this story, quite aptly.
8) No songs in the film, and probably none needed to be part of the film, considering the tone. It was quite to the point.
All in all, an interesting watch. I’ve seen some attempts at film making previously in Bollywood, where they try making a collection of unconnected stories appear somewhat coherent and don’t succeed very well. This was certainly not one of the botched attempts. They were able to make what they set out to.
