Ajeeb Daastaans

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resin n Great compilation of shorts, that unfortunately aren't given a commercial space of their own, outside festivals. Geeli Pucchi, and Ankahi, I probably like more. Owed to Konkona's performance in the first and Shefali's eyes in the second. The first two, Majnu and Khilauna, have approaches to less common or unusual stories, I haven't seen before. The performances, are still pretty great. Police abuse of the working class, in Khilauna, is presented as a very matter-of-fact, trivial sort of way. This may be my only problem with the short. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/24 Full Review Hemant S The theme is clearly "irony" – swinging between bittersweet, gut-wrenching and even victorious. "Ajeeb Dastaans" is an anthology series with some great talent on show, with a varying emotional quotient across each of the four tales directed by Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan and Kayoze Irani. The film starts with possibly the most materialistic of tales, and thus not so emotionally loaded ""Majnu", moving onto some sinister territory with "Khilauna". Jaideep Ahlawat and Fatima Sana Shaikh give "Majnu" as much power as it could have been given, and Nushrat Bharucha and Abhishek Banerjee do the same for the second story which touches upon the tumultuous territory around classism and sexual harassment – but Inayat Verma shines out once again after her spritely stint in "Ludo". Being all of 8 years old, I wonder what kind of surprises she holds in the years to come – she is someone to watch out for. "Geeli Pucchi" follows, with a powerhouse act by the very talented Konkona Sen Sharma supported by Aditi Rao Hydari in a story that intertwines the struggles of caste-ism and the acceptance of the homosexuality in India. And finally, we have "Ankahi" – a story that's beautifully expressed and performed by Manav Kaul and Shefali Shah. Kaul with his subtle, yet powerful act proves why drama and stage background stand outs over actors who have taken a straight dive into the craft. A special mention for Shreedhar Dubey who multi-tasks for both "Khilauna" and "Geeli Pucchi" in supporting roles. Shreedhar is one of those actors who stays in the shadows playing key characters, but shines out even in those few moments. Very akin to the early days of Nawazuddin Siddique. All in all, the four-story package is an interesting watch. Short stories are a challenging piece of work – narrating and playing out a powerful tale within a very condensed span of time. With that kept in mind, to get to the gold, you have to wade through some silver. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Four short movies highlight different relationships and social settings around them in Indian society. Acting is phenomenal by all the main characters in all four movies. Geeli Pucchi, the third movie absolutely brings this movie home. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Four separate, unrelated short stories. All involving how life doesn't always go your way. All have the same theme... life sometimes take little detours. However, every story ends in a disspointing negative end. If you are watching this for 'entertainment', then you will be left feeling empty. As I did. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member This is anthology of four short films directed by Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan and Kayoze Irani - in that order. Don't let the muddled first film turn you off the remaining three, which are darn good in their own way and feature some excellent performances. Konkona Sensharma is especially brilliant. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Son 4 cortometrajes con tramas variadas que suceden en la India; las tramas son decentes y los actores son buenos; está pasable. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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