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By Taran
Adarsh, December 7, 2007 - 13:34 IST
Sometimes, a short story of 10 minutes or a music
video of 4 minutes has a better story to tell than
most 2.30 hour movies.
 It would be unfair to club DUS KAHANIYAAN in the same
category as DARNA MANA HAI, DARNA ZAROORI HAI and
SALAAM-E-ISHQ. Not only because the genres are as
diverse as chalk and cheese, but because each
10-minute story in DUS KAHANIYAAN has something to
say. At times, the message is loud and clear. At
times, feeble. But there's no denying that DUS
KAHANIYAAN is refreshingly different from the episodic
films we've witnessed in the past.
At the end of the day, it's all about narrating
interesting stories effectively. Sanjay Gupta and his
team of directors have chosen 10 different stories
that are not linked with each another and also don't
have a sutradhaar to bind them in one thread. Nor is
the finale of each story the same. So let's minutely
look at each story and the impact they create.
'Rice Plate'
Cast: Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah.
A Hindu woman and a Muslim man's journey over a
rice plate. It is about the challenge that the woman
faces when a man claims her plate of rice. Will she
place her hunger before her beliefs? Maturely handled
by debutante director Rohit Roy. Plus, watching
Shabana and Naseer after a hiatus is a treat. Shabana
is outstanding!
 'Sex On The Beach'
Cast: Dino Morea and Tareena Patel.
Dino picks a worn out book on the beach and its
character comes alive into a breathtaking woman. They
have a great time together, but suddenly everything
changes. The mystery woman has some surprises in store
for Dino. Director Apoorva Lakhia succeeds in giving
you some chills down your spine. The culmination to
the story is eerie. Dino is alright, while Tareena
flaunts her assets without inhibitions.
'Love Dale'
Cast: Anupam Kher, Anooradha Singh, Aftab Shivdasani
and Neha Uberoi.
Neha meets a woman in the train who is wearing
only one earring. She finds that strange and that
chance meeting strikes the change in her life. A story
about fate, destiny at play and the notion that one
moment can change your entire life. Very identifiable,
very true to life. Beautifully handled by debutante
director Jasmeet Dhodi. Aftab and Neha are natural.
'Matrimony'
Cast: Mandira Bedi, Arbaaz Khan and Sudhanshu Pandey.
Mr. & Mrs. Sarin is a happily married couple. The
devoted wife meets her ailing aunt every Thursday. But
is she really meeting her aunt? A story of betrayal
and faith. The twist in the tale, towards the end,
comes as a bolt from the blue. Mandira is efficient,
Arbaaz is able, Sudhanshu is perfect. Sanjay Gupta
shows his expertise as a storyteller.
 'Gubbare'
Cast: Nana Patekar, Anita and Rohit Roy.
After an argument with her husband in the bus,
Anita sits next to an intriguing man holding 11 red
balloons. This story unfolds a journey within a
journey into this man's past, uncovering the key to
one of the most important lessons in life. Fantastic
performance by Nana. Anita is effective. Sanjay Gupta
is in form yet again!
'Pooranmashi'
Cast: Amrita Singh, Minisha Lamba, Parmeet Sethi and
Vishwajeet Pradhan.
It's about the mother-daughter bond. A mother's
only daughter is about to get married and she would do
anything to make her daughter happy. But an incident
changes their lives forever. A brilliant story
beautifully handled by Meghna Gulzar. Amrita is
topnotch, Minisha is okay. The end moves you!
'Strangers In The Night'
Cast: Neha Dhupia and Mahesh Manjrekar.
Every anniversary, they narrate the other a
secret; this year it's the wife's turn. She begins
narrating an interesting encounter with a stranger at
the railway station waiting room. What you perceive
and what you eventually witness is a sharp contrast.
Again, an outstanding story. Neha is first-rate,
Mahesh okay. But what you carry home is the
culmination. Sanjay Gupta handles the story with élan!
 'High On The Highway'
Cast: Jimmy Sheirgill and Masumeh.
The highway symbolised their companionship and
their unspoken love. Its unpredictable and volatile
turns define this story of two people, who discover
the boundaries of freedom and the recklessness of
life. Though interestingly handled by director Hansal
Mehta, the story lacks meat. Jimmy and Masumeh are
competent. Too dark, content-wise as also visually.
Overall, mazaa nahin aaya.
'Zahir'
Cast: Manoj Bajpai and Dia Mirza.
After discovering something startling about his
neighbour, a writer is driven to madness. The one step
he takes gives this story its required twist. Hits you
like a ton of bricks. Manoj is superb, Dia is
excellent. Sanjay Gupta shows that he can handle
emotional moments with remarkable ease.
 'Rise & Fall'
Cast: Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty.
Two parallel stories run together to meet one end.
It is a story about two gangsters, their friendship
and subsequent betrayal. Very confusing, looks very
theatrical and the action and the subsequent scene
only add to the chaos. Gupta and Hansal concentrate
more on technique instead of simplifying things. Both
Sanju and Suniel are strictly okay.
On the whole, the number of interesting kahaniyaan in
DUS KAHANIYAAN outnumber the not-too-interesting ones
and that's what goes in its favor. At the box-office,
the film may not set the box-office afire, but would
definitely keep its investors safe given the fact that
the film has been sold for more than reasonable prices
and also due to the fact that it has the merits to
keep you hooked. A novel experience!
Rating:- *
* *
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