Dus Kahaniyan

Rating : 5/10
Running Time : 128 Minutes
Release Date : 7th Dec ‘07
Directors : Sanjay Gupta, Rohit Roy, Meghna Gulzar, Apoorva Lakhia, Hansel Mehta and Jasmeet Dodhi

There are 10 completely distinct, individual stories, by six different directors and different cast. The stories are slickly done, with great attention to detail, most having a twist in the tale and some nice touches but not all will appeal to the whole audience because of the themes they deal in. Also, most stories were predictable, with even the ‘twists’ obvious a mile away and in some you struggled to see the point.

After much debate, I’ve decided to list all stories with their theme / cast / director but only expand the ones I liked.
1. Matrimony : I thought this one was the nicest story, simple, slightly predictable, touching upon infidelity with the corporate husband the bored housewife theme, slick and well enacted by Mandira Bedi (I’d forgotten she could act) and Arbaaz Khan (I hope he gets some meatier roles in Bollywood, he’s v good when given a chance).
2. High on the Highway : Terrible, stars Jimmy Sheirgill, its about drugs, the rest is just a blurry haze….
3. Purnmashi : starring Manisha Lamba and Amrita Singh, its nice, once again about infidelity though this time in a rural setting.
4. Strangers in the Night : The one twist which was not really predictable. Again, slick, well done and very well acted by Neha Dhupia who describes an erotic encounter on a railway station.
5. Zahir : Starring Manoj Bajpai and a very fresh looking, tanned Dia Mirza, about two neighbours in a Mumbai flat, nicely done yet predictable
6. Lovedale : It was nice to see Anooradha Patel after years, even if it was for 2 seconds. Anupam Kher also has a bit part in this with the key roles going to Aftab Shivdasani and Neha Uberoi, describing how a chance encounter can change your life. Very predictable and I found it quite corny.
7. Sex on the Beach : Terrible, starring Dino Morea
8. Rice Plate : stars Shabana Azmi and Naseerudin Shah, I don’t quite know how to rate this one – there definitely is something to it, with Shabana playing a South Indian Hindu who is prejudiced against Muslims. Some nice little touches but it doesn’t really sparkle.
9. Gubbare : nice, sentimental stuff about a couple traveling by bus and having an argument, with the wife (well played by Anita Hansdani) changing her seat and having a conversation with an elderly gentleman (Nana Patekar), who describes his own fights with his wife.
10. Rise and Fall : Sanjay Dutt and Suneil Shetty, its slick, gritty but pointless action.

The opening credits are very nice, with an intriguing, kaleidoscopic effect and an Enigma inspired soundtrack. Title song is nice as well. However, this one is a flatliner, with no spikes in the ECG. I wish they had managed to connect the stories or even have them all around the same theme (imagine 10 different takes on infidelity). Unfortunately, nothing really makes you sit up and go ‘Wow’ in any of the stories.