Cast: Neena Gupta, Divya Dutta, Sanya Kapoor, Aisha Ahmed, Deepak Dobriyal, Rima Kallingal, Swarrop Sampat, Shafina Patel and more.
Directors: Tahira Kashyap, Punarvasu Naik, Vijayeta Kumar, Rakesh Sain, Gautam Govind Sharma, Smrutika Panigrahi and Vinay Chhawal.
Guneet Monga brings seven slice-of-life short stories each narrated and filmed with a distinctive style tied together by nothing but versatility.
While it is difficult to put these tiny marvels in any order of preference, my favourite has to be Thappad. It is a strong and impactful take on eve teasing told through the lens of a young village boy. The brilliance lies in its use of slow-mo frames and superhero inspired music.Shot in frames that cut across tall legs and big chests, we see the world through this li’l boys eyes, quite reminiscent of Tom and Jerry. It is an absolute delight, just go watch it.
Then there is Pinni written by Tahira Kashyan starring Neena Gupta. On the surface the story of an unappreciated homemaker isn’t a novel concept, but Neena Gupta by her mere mannerisms elevates the entire show to the next level. And yes, it does leave you craving for a good Pinni by the end of it.
I also really enjoyed Chajju ki Dahi Bhalle a lot. Two young millennials swipe right on Tinder and plan to meet over the famous Chajju ke Dahi Bhalle. What feels like a breezy love story ends on an unexpected and heartfelt note.
Swaaha brings the tale of one unsuccessful marriage in the most hilarious set up. Thanks to Deepak Dobriyal’s inherent comic timing, anytime the subject gets too serious there is a joke to crack you up. Swaha gives lessons on superbly done Dark humour.
Nano So Phobia is slightly twisted compared to all the other stories and builds up slowly but again, continues to end on a satisfying note.
My least favourite if at all will have to be Sleeping partner and Sunny side up. With nothing particularly wrong with either of the stories they just did not feel as crisp as the rest of the anthology. Nevertheless they still have the pace and closure of a good shot film.
Watch Zindagi in a short to appreciate how good and complete stories can be narrated in a limited timeframe, just like life maybe?
Going with 3/5 cutting for this one.