Like any binge watcher online, I also spent the weekend sitting through Lust Stories 2. I logged into Netflix the moment it dropped and spent sizable portion of my Friday afternoon not only watching but also discussing each story with my fellow viewers. The second set of anthologies, Lust Stories 2 featured stories by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, Konkona Sen Sharma, R. Balki and Sujoy Ghosh. All the stories made me ponder — for the good and for the bad. So without further ado, let’s dive into all that I thought while watching each Lust Stories 2 story.
Warning: Spoilers ahead:
Made For Each Other: Starring Neena Gupta, Mrunal Thakur and Angad Bedi in the lead, the short film revolves around a grandmother hellbent on ensuring that the soon-to-be-married couple not only know if they are compatible in terms of interests but also in bed. Her demand makes everyone uncomfortable but everyone eventually comes around the fact that Mount Fuji has to erupt for a good marriage.
Now, the short film is simple, but I would recommend this to those for whom discussing sex is still a taboo. The star of this short story is undoubtedly Neena Gupta. She is outstanding. Her character is very similar to the persona we see of her on social media, making it a lot more relatable. Hats off to the casting. It is such a refreshing change of pace to watch a mature conversation about sex and marriage on screen. Very nicely done, R Balki.
The Mirror: A tale of two women on the opposite sides of the mirror — played by Tillotama Shome and Amruta Subhash — and what transpires on a sunny afternoon. Isheeta (Tillotama) walks into her house help Veda (Amruta) having sex with her husband at her home, on her bed. While she is initially disgusted at the idea of them on her bed, she starts to enjoy watching the act as a spectator. Eventually, the curtains fall and the women come face-to-face and a series of events unfold, putting class power and women’s desires in the spotlight.
The Mirror is slow but oh boy, what beautifully layered piece of work — focusing on the class and kinks without being preachy about it. Konkana Sen Sharma changes gears smoothly, making it look, from the outside, that both of them have a balanced points of view. I honestly felt it could have been elevated a tad more, to spark a strong discussion but I appreciate Konkana’s take as well, to approach this subject with a softer lens. It feels like a story that you could find a new angle in, if you rewatch it a couple of times over. Tillotama and Amruta take the tale a notch higher.
Sex with Ex: Ah, I had hopes from this one but it disappointed the most. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatia teamed up for a sexually powered Lust Story. Ex husband and wife, Vijay and Tamannaah’s characters, cross paths after 10 years and spark reignites. However, there’s a twist to the tale that no one sees coming.
Although the pairing was unique, I guessed the twist the moment the accident took place. Sex With Ex could have been portrayed in a much better way. It felt like Sujoy was trying to pack in a feature film into a short film and the box couldn’t close properly.
Tilchatta: A man (played by Kumud Mishra) who is still trying to live off the droplets of his royalty is married to a former sex worker. Given his lust for women, he catches hold and sleeps with any woman he finds attractive, no questions asked. To top it off, he is also an abusive husband. While he lusts for women, his wife (Kajol) lusts for freedom. In this battle of lust, she tries everything in her control, even persuading her son to move to England for higher studies. But, with luck not by her side, it’s a struggle till the very end.
Tilchatta (which means cockroach) is a well-penned tale. Amit Ravindernath Sharma aptly captures the feeling of disgust ignited by a cockroach through Kumud’s character. The double whammy in the end is worth an applause as well. However, the issue I had with the last one is that it starts off by showing a man who is lusting behind women and it quickly turns into rape —marital and beyond the household — and abuse. While I have slept over it and tried to think of it from different points of view, it doesn’t change the problematic view, for me, personally.
If I set this view point on a parallel line, the story boasts of two brilliant performances — Kajol and Kumud Mishra. I love that Kajol has been very picky about her projects and appearances since she took a step back from acting, making us crave for her appearance. And Kumud, what an actor! He gets under your skin so well that by the end, you want him moved far away from your sight.
Of the four, R Balki and Konkana Sen Sharma’s stories would rank on the top spots for me. The primary reason being that these incidents and episodes are relatable and/or could take place in our day-to-day lives. Amit Ravindernath Sharma’s story with Kajol in lead stands second for its writing and performance. Sujoy misses the mark this time with Sex with Ex.
If a third run of Lust Stories were to happen, I’d like to see these filmmakers attempt to tell a tale: Imitaz Ali, Shakun Batra, Sriram Raghavan, Vivek Agnihotri, Rohit Shetty, Gauri Shinde and Meghna Gulzar. I would also like to see a few more stories focusing on the LGBTQ community in the next leg.
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