Apr. 16, 2021|India|141 Min.
Genre: Bollywood;Drama;Romance
Description: **Ajeeb Daastaans (2021) – Hindi Movie Review**
Anthology films, particularly recent releases on Netflix India, often suffer from inconsistency. *Ajeeb Daastaans* takes this flaw to an extreme, bordering on self-sabotage. Unlike previous anthologies such as *Lust Stories* and *Ghost Stories*, where Karan Johar’s segment stood out awkwardly, Johar steps back here, serving only as a producer. Instead, Shashank Khaitan, one of Johar’s protégés, directs the opening segment, which unfortunately turns out to be the weakest of the four.
Khaitan’s film, *Majnu*, stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Fatima Sana Shaikh as a couple trapped in a loveless marriage. The story is incoherent, prioritizing shock value over well-crafted characters or a believable plot. Khaitan’s ambitious attempt to write, direct, compose music, and pen lyrics results in a twist that feels both trite and problematic. The narrative becomes increasingly improbable, starting with a bizarre incident involving deep-fried genitals as punishment just 10 minutes into the story. The sourness of this segment lingers into the next.
Raj Mehta, another Dharma Productions alumnus, directs the second short, *Khilauna*, inspired by *Big Little Lies*. Starring Nushrratt Bharuccha and Abhishek Banerjee, who deliver strong performances, the film is undermined by heavy-handed direction and a seemingly forced twist at the end.
*Ajeeb Daastaans* lacks thematic unity, relying instead on a vague sense of ‘weirdness.’ Each of the four shorts concludes with a shocking reveal, but only two feel genuinely earned. Overall, the anthology struggles to maintain consistency, leaving viewers with a mixed and often unsatisfying experience.
Cast director: Shashank Khaitan
Cast actor: Konkona Sen Sharma, Shefali Shah, Aditi Rao Hydari, Abhishek Banerjee, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Inayat Verma, Jaideep Ahlawat, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Armaan Ralhan, Manav Kaul
Original name: अजीब दास्तान्स