Dus Kahaniyaan: Short, Youthful and Sweet

By Bikas Mishra • Dec 8th, 2007 • Filed under: Bollywood, Film Review, Movies

Do watch Dus Kahaniyaan and experience the power of short films and young minds, writes Bikas Mishra

Dus Kahaniyaan: From the first Kahani Matrimony

There is always an advantage of choosing an anthology of short films over a feature film. Here you run a lesser risk. I went to watch Dus Kahaniyaan with an expectation that even if three of the ten shorts are good, it would be worth a watch and to my delight five of them are remarkable while three are moderately good.

The first film of the anthology, titled Matrimony, directed by Sanjay Gupta, makes your expectations rise. Meghana Gulzar’s Pooranmasi is a film that makes you feel for the protagonist. Both the shorts are woven around unfulfilled love stories where women (and men) seek fulfillment beyond marriage.

While Rohit Roy’s Rice Plate and Sanjay Gupta’s Strangers in the Night, tell you stories reflecting contemporary social realities. Both the films have a strong message against communalism, however Rice Plate turns out to be a story well told. “Strangers in the Night” tries hard but somehow ends up being little too dramatic.

High on the Highway is a touching story, perhaps cinematically most daring of the ten. Apart from telling a story of loss, and the feeling of it, it tries to play around with time and memory as well. Though it could leave some viewers little confused becaues of the lightening pace with which it proceeds towards the end.

Sex on the beach is the glossiest of all. I enjoyed it for the great production value and deft editing.

“Zahir” is another film made with dexterity. Though it has some situations that could well be termed “complete filmy” but it does leave you in a shock for its final twist.

Though after a while you could see some kind of a pattern in all the stories: which are set up with an (directorial) intention to mislead you while climax comes with a twist to revleal the truth. Perhaps this is how short stories are told. Nevertheless, it’s a welcome and refreshing beginning in Bollywood for young and talented directors to come together and make short and sweet films.

Do watch this film and experience the power of short films and young minds.

My rating: 3.5 stars