Dus Kahaniyaan

Article Updated 07 December, 2007 11:07:00 PM IST

Dus Kahaniyaan

As the name indicates, this film is a compilation of 10 stories. These 10 short films have been directed by six directors, of which two of them make their debut. The directors are Meghana Gulzar ( Filhaal and Just Married), Apoorva Lakhia (Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost, Ek Ajnabee and Shootout at Lokhandwala), Hansal Mehta (Chhal and Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hain), Sanjay Gupta ( Kaante, Zinda, Musafir, etc. and who is also the producer), debutant Rohit Roy (TV actor) and debutant Jasmeet Dhodi (Ad filmmaker).

Dus Kahaniyaan opens with "Matrimony" directed by Sanjay Gupta. Mandira Bedi plays a bored housewife married to a busy executive essayed by Arbaaz Khan. She is having an extra marital affair with an army officer, essayed by Sudhanshu Pandey.

*** (Three Stars)

"High on the Highway", directed by Hanssal Mehta is the story of two people in love, (essayed by Jimmy Shergil and Masumeh Makhija), who are perpetually stoned most of the time. After they get high, they like to walk on the highway!

** (Two Stars)

"Pooranmashi", directed by Meghna Gulzar, is set in a village. It's the story of a girl (Minisha Lamba) and her mother (Amrita Singh). The girl is soon to be married. Then the mother's lover (Parmeet Sethi) comes to meet his lover on a full moon night.

**1/2 (Two and Half Stars)

In Jasmeet Dodhi's "Lovedale", a girl (Neha Oberoi), is traveling alone on a train. She is given an earring by another passenger (Anuradha Patel). She follows the lady by alighting at the Lovedale Railway Station. Though she loses track of the lady, she bumps into a painter (Aftab Shivdasani). Anupam Kher essays the role of the girl's father.

1/2 (Half Star)

Apoorva Lakhia's "Sex on the Beach" has Dino Morea, essaying a man who is lazing around on the beach. He finds a quaint looking book and starts to read it. Soon he spots a beautiful girl jet skiing. She comes up to him and initiates a conversation. The director Apoorva Lakhia, plays a cameo towards the end of the film.

* (One Star)

In Sanjay Gupta's "Gubbare", Anita Hassanandani and Rohit Roy, are a couple traveling by bus. They have a tiff and the wife takes a separate seat. A man (Nana Patekar), seated close by with many happy face balloons in his hand catches her eye. Curious, she starts talking to him.

** (Two Stars)

Shabana Azmi plays the role of a religious south Indian woman in "Rice Plate", directed by Rohit Roy. She is a devout Hindu, on the way to Pune to meet her granddaughter. She forgets her purse at home and also misses her train. Famished, she fishes in her bag for loose change and manages to get herself a rice plate. To her shock, she finds her rice plate is being eaten by a Muslim gentleman played by Naseeruddin Shah!

*** (Three Stars)

Manoj Bajpai is an aspiring writer in Sanjay Gupta's "Zahir". He moves into a new home and soon gets friendly with his neighbour (Dia Mirza) who is an aspiring actress. Then he makes a startling discovery about her.

**** (Four Stars)

In "Strangers in the Night" directed by Sanjay Gupta, Mahesh Manjrekar and Neha Dhupia are a couple who on every anniversary tell each other a secret from their past life. This year it's the wife's turn. As she narrates an incident from her past which happened in a railway station, he is not able to take it.

*** (Three Stars)

"Rise 'n' Fall", the last installment in the film, directed by Sanjay Gupta and Hansal Mehta, is the story of two gangsters played by Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty. Both have been friends for long time and when things get heated up for one the other suggests that he leave town with his pregnant wife.

*** (Three Stars)

The entire film seems to have been shot on a low budget. In fact, all the stories, have an extremely grainy look and the characters have jagged edges, which gives an indication that the film has been shot on low quality digital format! Irrespective of these shortcomings, apart from a few of the stories, most of the short films are pretty good with an interesting twist at the end of each one.

It is definitely worth a watch at least once.

Overall rating: *** (Three Stars)

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