Ajeeb Daastaans Movie Review: Ankahi is best among four strangely contrasting stories of unexplored relationships
Ajeeb Daastaans Movie Rating: 2.5 Stars
Just watched Ajeeb Daastaans movie on Netflix. So let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Jaideep Ahlawat, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Armaan Ralhan, Abhishek Bannerjee, Nushrat Bharucha, Konkona Sensharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shefali Shah, Manav Kaul and Tota Roychoudhary
Director: Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan, Kayoze Irani
Release Date: 16th April 2021 on Netflix
Story: It is an anthology of four strangely contrasting stories which delve into fractured relationships and unexplored spaces. Four shorts explore the surprising ways in which unexpected catalysts inflame the uncomfortable emotions simmering under fractured relationships.
The first film in the four-part anthology is titled as Majnu which is directed by Shashank Khaitan. Set in Barabanki this segment opens to a couple in a haveli Babloo (Jaideep Ahlawat) is rich and shady businessman who is married to Lipakshi (Fatima Sana Shaikh) who is a politician daughter. Their marriage resembles a business alliance to benefitting their parents arranged without the couple’s consent and Babloo tells her on the first night that he’ll only fulfil the nominal duties of a husband. When Babloo employs a budding college-graduate Raj (Armaan Ralhan) the son of his driver this causes his wife to develop feelings for him. What happen next is all about this film.
The second film in the four-part anthology is titled as Khilauna which is directed by Raj Mehta. Two orphaned yet expedient sisters Meenal (Nushrratt Bharuccha) and Binny (Inayat Verma) are upset over the new neighborhood secretary for disconnecting electricity which they had sourced through illegal means. Meenal wants a way in to the secretary’s house so that she can eventually convince him to reconsider her repeated pleas for electricity. Her boyfriend Sushil (Abhishek Banerjee) from the laundry shop is skeptical about the plan. The new secretary of the residents’ association (Maneesh Verma) who does not take kindly to the dalliance, exploits the maidservant’s vulnerability when her illegal electricity connection is discontinued. What happen next is all about this film.
The third film in the four-part anthology is titled as Geeli Pucchi which is directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. The film revolves around Bharati (Konkona Sen Sharma) who is a Dalit factory worker who has her eyes set on the data operator’s job. To her shock, the post is offered to an upper-class newly married woman Priya (Aditi Rao Hydari). Initially peeved Bharti eventually befriends the new recruit and strikes an unexpected friendship with her. However their forbidden bonding comes with its share of heartbreaks and deception.
The forth and best film of this anthology is titled as Ankahi which is directed by debutant Kayoze Irani. It is the story of unhappily married mother Natasha (Shefali Shah) whose daughter Samaira (Sara Arjun) is slowly losing her sense of hearing. While Natasha is quick to adapt to sign language, her husband Rohan (Tota Roy Chowdhury) seems a bit disinterested. When Natasha bumps into a deaf-and-mute photographer Kabir (Manav Kaul) at an art gallery who shares her daughter’s hearing disability and is immediately drawn to him.Already proficient in the sign language, she has no trouble communicating with this man who believes that spoken words can lie but the eyes never do. The bond grows deeper with every meeting and their conversations are peppered with humor and heart.
Positives
1. Refreshing story
2. Length
3. Climax
4. Acting good in parts
Negatives
1. Climax
2. Direction good in parts
3. Music
4. Screenplay
Durgesh Tiwary’s View : > When I watched the trailer planned to watch this movie in my free time because it is an anthology and story looks good and so many talented actors and directors are part of it.
Ajeeb Daastaans is an anthology of four strangely contrasting stories which delve into fractured relationships and unexplored spaces. The stories set in varied milieus, explore jealousy, entitlement, prejudices and toxicity, which are often entangled within the heart of their relationships. Each story also takes you on a journey where one would struggle with the moral dilemma of what’s right and what’s wrong, as the lines between them get blurred.
This anthology touches upon the subject of underlying sadness in loveless marriages, broken hearts and secret identities, caste barriers and gender biases, and, most importantly, how silent love conquers one and all. Overall It is good in parts and for me it failed to delivers what I have expected from it. Liked Khilauna and Ankahi among all. My View on this movie Time Pass!!
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