Introduction :

Zindagi in Short is the second anthology that I have watched and will be reviewing in as many weeks. Last week I had watched the Telugu anthology Pitta Khataralu on Netflix which I found was a mixed bag. With 7 short stories, this is going to be a long review, so lets get straight into it, is Zindagi In Short worth your time, stay tuned.

Pinni –
A story of a homemaker who makes Pinnis and sells them with little to no appreciation from her closed ones. The story tells a tale or two about how thankless the job of a homemaker actually is. I just loved the screenplay and the final retaliation with was subtle. Director Tahira Kashyap has done an excellent job to make it so relatable but never melodramatic at any point. Srishti Srivastava and Shishir Sharma are brilliant but the star of the show is Neena Gupta who breathes life into her character. 

Rating: 4/5

Sleeping Partner –
A story of a housewife who is abused mentally and physically by her husband finds some love(and lust) with a younger man. Will love last? I felt the screenplay was excellent here, almost unfolding like a thriller. The twists and turns are brilliant here and the ending is superb. Director Punarvasu Naik has done a swell job. Sanjay Kapoor and Jitin Gulati are pretty good, particularly the latter but again it is Divya Dutta who comes on top as the winner. 

Rating: 4/5

Sunny Side Upar –
A story of a doctor who is always on her toes till one in her family falls sick. I really enjoyed this short. It is layered and almost reflects on the lives we have today, running around all the time. Sometimes it is wise to sit back and enjoy life rather look on the sunny side of things. Director Vijayeta Kumar has done a fabulous job. Nakuul Mehta and Rytasha Rathore are pretty good but it is Rima Kallingal who is brilliant here.

Rating: 4/5

Nano So Phobia –

I being a Parsi always felt that Parsi characters in films are extremely cliched. We just do not talk like the ones on celluloid. And so when I watched Nano so Phobia I was pleasantly surprised with Swaroop Sampat who got the parsi accent bang on(a few words could have been better though). A story of an old Parsi woman who is forgetful, the story is pretty good and the screenplay is breezy. Director Rakesh Sain has done a good job. Arun Kushwah and Nidhi Bisht shine in cameos.

Rating: 3.5/5

Chhaju Ke Dahi Bhalle –
The best of the lot is this short. And here I would like to keep the story under wraps as it may act as a spoiler. And the screenplay will make you smile and make you dumb at the end. I really want to go on writing about this one but I will have to stop to avoid giving out any spoilers. Director Gautam Govind Sharma is the director to watch out for. His direction is top notch and of the highest order. Aisha Ahmed and Manjot Singh form a cute couple and their innocence and helplessness are on full display here. This was stays with you after it has ended.

Rating: 4.5/5

Thappad –

A story of a brother and sister who are often bullied at by young adults in a village. This was definitely struck a chord with me. The screenplay has minimal dialogues which increases the impact of the drama. Director Vinay Chhawal has done a pretty good job here. The two kids Akash and Vedika are simply outstanding.

Rating: 3.5/5

Swaaha –

Again a story that I will prefer to keep under wraps. Here the story is more character driven to be honest and some of the best performances are in this short. The writing I felt could have been slightly better but the performances are excellent. Director Smrutika Panigrahi has done a decent job here. Bijou Thaangjam is good and Isha Talwar looks pretty and is a fire cracker here. But Deepak Dobriyal just nails his comic timing and is simply outstanding. What natural acting.

Rating: 3.5/5

Conclusion:

Zindagi in Short is simply brilliant. No two ways about it. Available on Netflix and Highly Recommended.