Loneliness of megacities. "Untold Stories" - film consisting of three short stories (such short stories) about loneliness and love in the big city. Over the past few years, I’ve watched more than a dozen of these piercing stories, and yesterday, again, such a film caught. But, after watching, there was a deep trace in the soul, and the understanding of their own powerlessness to change something in the lives of people around them. Because they, incredibly suffering from loneliness and unfulfilled love, for some reason they stubbornly do not want to change their lives, and do not want to become happier, although they claim that they want to.
The first part of the film, directed by Ashwini Ayer Tiwari, tells the story of a modest, shy guy. He hails from a village in Maharashtra state and is stuck in a daily monotonous job as a salesman at a clothing store in Mumbai. Everyone around him goes on dates, meets someone and Pradip knows that he is the only one left without a couple. One day, a woman mannequin was brought to the store where he works to demonstrate a new collection of women's clothing. Pradip He became attached to her with all his heart and soul. He calls her "Paris", takes her to the beach, buys presents, puts on the most beautiful clothes and all this with a huge smile on his face. One day, a store owner sees a video in which Pradip is captured while talking to a mannequin. He is criticized by his colleagues and friends for his “perversion”. The writer asks why the attachment of the main character is perceived by others as moral corruption. In Japan, there is a whole subculture around dolls that can be spoken to by the increasingly lonely Japanese population. And for such a person as Pradip, who personifies young guys from the Indian outback who are unable to cope with the demands of the girls of a noisy metropolis, the dummy can be the first step to gain self-confidence. And the main thing for him is that Payhe listens to it! Always. No matter what he says, no matter what state he is in, she always listens to him, without interrupting or arguing. But maybe the creators are too futuristic?
The second story is based on the Canadian novella Jayant Kaikini Madhyantara. The film directed by Abhishek Chaubey returns the viewer to the days of single-seater cinemas. The viewer sees young lovers stuck in Mumbai in search of love. Manjari, a devoted moviegoer, is forced to choreograph the house, serving the whole family led by a tyrant and drunk father. And her only salvation is watching Marathi films in the local cinema. And Nanda, cinema worker. They meet during film shows and fantasize about each other as movie heroes. Exchange glances, make dates, eat ice cream and walk by the sea. Without saying anything, they realize that they know little about each other, and over time, their relationship ends. Will these naive dreamers never meet again? Despite the beautiful shots, the narrative develops slowly and may not immediately engage.
The last short was directed by Sacket Chaudhary. It illustrates the realities of married life, which are broken about betrayal and betrayal. Tanu Mathur suspects his husband Arjuna Mathur that he is having an affair with one of his colleagues, Natasha. Tana is determined to find out the truth, she turns to Natasha’s husband, Manav, to tell him the truth and ask for help. By understanding the details of what may have prompted their partners to cheat, Tanu and Manav eventually begin to understand each other and get closer. According to critics, the plot failed to convey the idea that it does not matter whether a person is married or not, he is still important and should not be betrayed. In this film, a well-chosen cast, the narrative is built to keep the viewer in suspense and keep intrigue, and the final twist is a real surprise.
According to viewers, the plot of the last short beats the well-known technique in the cinema, but does not add anything new. The aggrieved wife and husband learn that their partners are having an affair and try to find out the details of how the betrayal occurred. This storyline is similar to the plot of the film "In the Mood for Love", based on a true story. In the version of "Untold Stories" all four participants are a little unnatural, and the two with whom the viewer spends the most time, moan about the discord in the family, and do nothing to fix everything.
All these stories are essentially focused on similar emotions: loneliness, love, pain and, above all, hope. The whole cinema is built on them, because people have always experienced and will experience these feelings in real life.
Many viewers unanimously note that only the second story, about a couple in a cinema, deserves the attention of the viewer. A single frame of a wooden ice cream spoon and two biscuits carefully wrapped in a scrap of a newspaper sheet conveys more than the other two short films combined. His shooting is like photographs - the picture is delightfully melancholic, like a dreary half-forgotten dream. Despite the sweet romance, the second story is secretly more pragmatic than one might expect. The story ends with a scene that made many wonder why the film was not moved to third place in the anthology to think longer about the fate of the characters, and not immediately switch to a typical story about treason.
Three stories from Indian cinema, about modern life, in modern India. About human loneliness, lack of demand, oppression and other psychological traumas of people living in a huge metropolis. The film is a real drama, which not only makes you think about modern realities, but also try to change something in reality, in your own life, through which these realities pass.
The first story is very emotional, a test for an actor to show emotions even with a dummy. The second - with a loving attitude, but showed that freedom is more important than love. The finale is just great. Third seems meaningless, showed not a yearning for love, but a yearning for freedom. Overall, good storylines, but no particular dynamics. And no matter what, the movie is a must-see for general development (and to understand why I don't like big cities).
10 out of 10