It does seem unfair to rate an anthology as a singular entity when some shorts stand out so glaringly and others fail to leave a mark. So, for the sake of giving credit where credit is due, let me start off by saying that the second short in Lust Stories 2, directed by Konkona Sensharma, deserves a much higher rating than the anthology has been given. Kajol, Neena Gupta, Tillotama Shome, and Amruta Subhash as performers could each take home a star.
But alas! Thus is the nature of anthologies.
A few years down the line, if you ask me what I remember of Lust Stories 2, I will tell you that it’s the recurring feeling that Sensharma is as skilled a filmmaker as she is an actor. She directs the second short with such finesse that it’s impossible to look away from, and not dissect. It helps, of course, that her vision is being brought to life by two extraordinarily fine actors, Shome (as Isheeta) and Subhash (as Seema), and a writer like Pooja Tolani.
Not only is the short a refreshingly honest take on the female gaze, voyeurism, and consent, it also explores themes of the class divide and challenges several different notions of desire. Both Shome and Subhash carry the emotional (and sensual) heft of this story on their able shoulders with performances that somehow feel both polished and raw. What happens when Isheeta enters her house to find her domestic help in the throes of passion with her husband?
The makers imbibe the story with a sensitive queerness; in so much so as placing desire outside the heteronormative binary.
It’s slightly akin to watching an intense tennis match between the two performers; will either falter? They don’t.
The first short, helmed by R Balki, centers on a grandmother (played by Neena Gupta) who insists that her granddaughter ensure she is sexually compatible with her fiancé. For her Indian family, this thought is as embarrassing as it is scandalous, highlighting the unnecessary shame we associate with sex and, especially, female pleasure.
Gupta’s performance is commendable, but it’s also a role that she can probably write herself, at this point. The actor deserves more diverse roles that utilise the extent of her skills, evidenced by her oeuvre ranging from Panchayat to Vadh. Balki’s offering is light-hearted but not much beyond that. Mrunal Thakur and Angad Bedi deliver decent performances but there’s not much to write home about.
Perhaps the most-talked-about short in Lust Stories 2 is the one starring Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma. Is it worth the hype? Not even close.
Vijay (Vijay) is driving down a road when his car breaks down and he eventually comes face to face with his estranged wife Shanti (Bhatia) who left him with more questions than answers. This short is one of the prime examples of taking two quality performers and giving them practically nothing to do. Between Sensharma’s and the last short, Sujoy Ghosh’s contribution sticks out like a sore thumb.
The short’s setting is, I believe, deliberately fantastical but that too, comes across more cartoony than experimental.
Disappointingly, this a story that should’ve shone in director Sujoy Ghosh’s capable hands, considering the depths he managed to explore with his previous works like Kahaani and Ahalya.
The title ‘Lust Stories’ leaves filmmakers with a wide chasm of storytelling to explore and Amit Sharma’s film takes a different route than the shorts that precede his. Sharma’s film stars Kajol and Kumud Mishra among others. Chanda’s (Kajol) story is that of a woman trying to channel her agency in an abusive marriage. Her husband (played by Mishra) treats everyone around him as dispensable, using his caste privilege as a shield in a deeply patriarchal society.
Set in a sprawling haveli, the toxicity and suffocation of such a large space rings true through the performances of the short’s lead cast. A has-been patriarch who is desperately grasping at any semblance of power, a rani whose head the metaphorical crown lies heavy on, and a son eager to escape the confines.
Kajol is the highlight of the short with a performance that proves yet again why she is one of the best actors Bollywood can boast of.
Her eyes are expressive enough for dialogues to hold little to no importance, and for a character with inner turmoil like hers, this aspect elevates the entire experience of watching the show. It is this act that keeps the show afloat despite an ending that seems more concerned with suspense than the service of its protagonist.
Lust Stories 2 does well to space its lackluster offerings with brilliant tales of desire, power, greed, and lust. Without the two shorts that actually work, this sequel to the considerably more entertaining Lust Stories would’ve been unforgettable at best.
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