Ajeeb Daastaans Review: Neeraj Ghaywan, Kayoze Irani Stand Out In This Anthology Of Love, Deceit And Everything In Between

There is something about anthologies that I really like. It’s difficult to decide if it’s how the storytellers manage to express themselves in a short period of time but with greater impact, or how the short films come together beautifully as a whole. It’s also a difficult balance to maintain- one slightly off film can make you feel bored, or one odd placement can also ruin the experience. I have also wondered if it’s the ease of taking breaks in between, and letting the film and the story sink for sometime before I move on to the other, which may or may not hit with equal impact! Dharma has kind of been the forerunner in bringing out anthologies in Hindi film industry and today, it released Ajeeb Daastaans- a tale of love, deceit, hatred and everything in between woven so delightfully that each short would remain with you long after you have watched it!

While the shorts are brilliant, it is a patchy kind of work, with each holding its own stand in the film. Each explore different zones, and dimensions. The film has four shorts- Majnu by Shashank Khaitan starring Jaideep Ahlawat , Fatima Sana Shaikh and Armaan Rahlan followed by Khilauna by Raj Mehta starring Abhishek Banerjee , Nushrrat Bharuccha, Inayat Verma and Manish Verma, Geeli Pucchi by Neeraj Ghaywan starring Konkona Sensharma and Aditi Rao Hydari and lastly debutant director Kayoze Irani’s Ankahee starring Shehdali Shah, Manav Kaul and Tota Roy Chowdhury.

Majnu deals with love, lust, keeping up façade for society and revenge. The Shashank Khaitan film is a bold one coming from the director, something we have not seen him venture into before. It is a short that has its surprises up the sleeve, with twists and turns you won’t expect! Fatima Sana Shaikh delivers a brilliant performance here and Jaideep Ahlawat is good, as usual. His character comes to play only later. The film also gives enough screen time to the ‘other’ here- Armaan Rahlan, who is earnest and delivers a good performance. The film is crisp and prepares you for the ones that are to come! However, this tale of clashing egos, of passion and revenge should have been hard-hitting, but it somewhat falls short from achieving that. The twist comes as something overly done, and too many things get tangled together.

Khilauna is the most unexpected one that we see here that gets into a different zone altogether. Amalgamating love, class divide, exploitations and lust, this film is most graphic in the anthology, and is meant to shock you. However, Raj Mehta follows the stereotypical troupes in this one and class divide comes in the easy presentation of a domestic help and those who she serves. While Inaayat Verma and Abhisshek Banerjee fit pretty well, Nushrratt Bharuccha looks miscast in this one! The film will shock, but you would question if everything was necessary at all. In shorts which should be kept crisp, this one strays and has many unnecessary points- like the entire conversation between Nushrratt’s Meenal with little Inaayat about making babies!

The next one is Neeraj Ghaywan’s Geeli Pucchi. This one is probably the longest, and the most hard-hitting one in the anthology. This is takes the entire narrative notches above the rest in the anthology. The story is of the Bharti Mondol, the only female ‘machine man’ in a factory who wants to bag the data operator job. Her dreams are shattered as she sees Priya Sharma take the job. An unusual friendship forms between the two, and that soon turns to love. But there’s a  lot in play here- class differences, accepting ones reality, gravity of feelings and overturning the wheel of power and class to ones advantage. Neeraj Ghaywan is a master craftsman and he once again proves what a genius he is with Geeli Pucchi. Not one moment is stray, not one dialogue is unnecessary here. The silences speak volume and you won’t dare to even blink here! This is enhanced with performers like Konkona Sensharma, who hits the ball out of the park, and Aditi Rao Hydari who plays the role of the carefree, privileged, dwelling in the past Priya to the T. There’s a precision in every frame in this one and its brilliance remains unmatched!

Coming somewhat close to it is probably debutant director Kayoze Irani’s Ankahee. The brilliance of this film lies in the performances, by Shefali Shah and Manav Kaul. This one is the story of a mother trying to find balance in her life when her daughter is suffering from degenerative hearing loss. She learns sign language to communicate, and tries to tell her husband to do the same, only to be getting into more arguments. She finds solace, understanding and love in a deaf and mute photographer played by Manav Kaul. This film is hauntingly beautiful and since most of the acting is to be done without words, this one shoulders only on the performances delivered by Shefali Shah and Manav Kaul. And man they are brilliant. Their pairing is so fresh, and so feel good. They take it up a notch higher when they express love, deceit, heartbreak, the surge of emotions through their expressions. This one is a treat too and Kayoze Irani has done a brilliant job with his debut film itself!

Overall, this one is a must watch, at least for Neeraj Ghaywan’s Geeli Pucchi which is probably one of the nest short films you would have seen in some time and Kayoze Irani’s Ankahee. This one is a 3.5/5 stars, especially because of Geeli Pucchi.