Lust Stories 2
Introduction
It is still a Thursday but the new releases have started pouring in. With that I just finished watching the new Hindi Anthology film Lust Stories 2 which is now streaming on Netflix. It was almost half a decade ago that I had watched Lust Stories, an anthology featuring shorts from 4 prolific filmmakers, namely Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap. Each of the stories had a unique dimension with lust being a central emotion. Like is the case with every anthology, it was a bit of a hit and a miss kind of a film, and this had more to do with the genre rather than the story in itself.
I must admit that I was quite ‘sexcited'(just a word play, don’t judge me😅) when Lust Stories 2 was announced. With a fresh quartret of filmmakers namely R Balki, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sujoy Ghosh and Amit Ravindernath Sharma, the anthology seemed to have all bases covered with its different flavours of lust, which like love also is a complex emotion in many ways. So then is Lust Stories 2 worth your time, lets find out in our standard Anthology Template!Â
R Balki
A story of a grandmother who wants her grand-daughter to go on a ‘test drive’ before marriage. The story here is progressive but it is the screenplay that runs a little too thin here. It does comprise of some tongue and cheek humour but overall I did feel that it was one-dimensional in many ways. For the entire duration of this short, the writing should have been such that it would create conflicts or moments in the screenplay that wasn’t quite the case. At the same time, it was the dry sense of humour that definitely did stand out wherein I did find myself chuckling here and there. The dialogues are funny and the BGM does enhance the drama. Director R Balki is always known to tap into interesting concepts and here too he does a good job although from a writing standpoint this remains one of his lessrr impressive works. But one aspect that rescues this short was the performances. Angad Bedi and Mrunal Thakur are wonderfully restrained and have their moments to shine. And it is Neena Gupta who is in the form of her life, who breathes a sense of freshness with her brilliantly enacted role of a poker faced yet progressive grandma. Overall, this short is a decent watch elevated in the acting department.
Rating: 2.5/5
Konkona Sen Sharma
Easily one of my favourite shorts of the film, it follows the story of a loner who discovers and later secretly enjoys watching her maid make love to her husband oblivious to the couple. This story has a quirky sense of humour and it explores so many shades of lust and s*x while silently commenting on the differences in class of the society. The contrasting pictures paint two separate stories – a loner having all the space for herself yet can’t find a partner for herself. On the other hand, a couple being cramped for space at a tiny little ghetto, having to satisfy their fantacies elsewhere. What this short also does highlight is that the term s*x can also be extended to you by indulging in self pleasure. The morality of the situation is nicely highlighted in the form of a conflict which also does tap into a streaky sense of humour. Director Konkona Sen Sharma is a prolific filmmaker(as well as an actor too) and she tackles this sensitive subject with a hint of dark humour. Amruta Subhash and Tillotama Shome are such seasoned performers and it was a pleasure watching both of them in a single frame. Overall, this short is outstanding to the core!
Rating: 4/5
Sujoy Ghosh
A Story of a man who suddenly bumps into his ex-wife after he meets with an accident. The story is essential a thriller with a lot of grey shades. I quite liked the setup to the tale with the protagonist bumping into his ex-wife who was presumably dead. This itself keeps the mystery alive and keeps the audience guessing on what may have actually transpired. The issue was in the revelation which was too quick. In between, the element of lust was the most forced out of all the stories. To give you a perspective, had the element of lust not been there, it still wouldn’t have drastically changed the story in any way. Having said that, Sujoy Ghosh is a master of weaving thrillers and he does a terrific job in keeping that one final twist up his sleeve that did make for a shocker of an end! Tamannah Bhatia and Vijay Varma(although slightly repetitive tonally with his previously portrayed characters) had crackling chemistry between the two and both of them were fabulous to watch. Both of them are brilliant to watch. Overall, this short can be watched for its performances and a shocker of an ending.
Rating: 3/5
Amit Ravindernath Sharma
Another one of the standout shorts, A story of a woman who after years of physical abuse in her marriage wishes to protect her son and extract revenge on her husband. Is she successful? This story highlights one of the lesser talked about issues of marital rape. Yet, there is a sense of gloom to the drama that unfolds steadily like a thriller which is layered. The events are organic and umassumingly smart with the writing. The writing is deeply rooted and makes for an engrossing watch. Now I had predicted the twist at the end which was good but the writers offer a subsequent twist in the tale almost immediately which elevates the short to another level. The shocker of an end was worth a thousand nightmares! Director Amit Ravindernath Sharma does a terrific job here and his skills as a director are for everyone to watch and admire. Kumud Mishra is a brilliant performer and his act will fill you with rage. Anushka Kaushik is outstanding wherein she was such a natural onscreen. Kajol speaks volumes through her expressive eyes in what was a wonderfully restrained performance. Overall, this short is an absolute must watch!
Rating: 4/5
Lust Stories 2 is a wildly satisfying anthology that does make for a good watch. Available on Netflix.