Ajeeb Dastaans or strange tales... This anthology of four stories was a highly anticipated release on Netflix as it boasted of a stellar cast and four mainstream directors coming together on the streaming platform. The trailer promised me that there would be an unexpected twist in every story and that was enough to intrigue me to watch the movie. Each story in Ajeeb Dastaans explores a delicate relationship and each twist leaves the viewers with a different feeling. 

Majnu

Shashank Khaitan’s Majnu sets the bar low for the other shorts. It picks on many cliched elements and tried and tested tropes. The story of revenge that plays out, in the end, seems underwhelming and isn’t something that audiences haven’t seen before. However, there are small deviations in these conventions. Lipakshi, the wronged wife, isn’t someone who accepts her fate and weeps throughout her life. She holds a grudge against her husband and is upfront about it. Babloo, the influential politician, is also not what he seems to be. There are two sides to every character in this short which greatly add to the complexity of the characters. This story manages to tweak the rules while also playing by the rules.  

Khilauna

Then comes Raj Mehta’s Khilauna. With a rather gory and truly unexpected twist, this story does little to raise the low bar set by Majnu. Meenal works as a housemaid in the neighbouring upper-class households and lives with her little sister, Binny. This short shows her struggle to give herself and her sister a better life in a society that is plagued by discrimination against the lower class. The story portrays the dark reality of the class divide in India and how adversely it affects underprivileged sections of the society. Although this short is high on the suspense quotient, it falls short on the characterisation aspect. I would have loved to see more of Binny since her character turns out to be quite important to the storyline. 

Geeli Pucchi

Neeraj Ghaywan’s Geeli Pucchi covers delicate issues of caste, class, sexuality and feminism and delivers them with a dash of good storytelling and multi-dimensional characterisation. The rugged Bharti meets the naïve and angel-like Priya and falls in love with her but as it turns out Priya is yet to uncover the mystery of her own sexuality. As long as Priya is unaware of Bharti’s caste, their relationship doesn’t encounter any roadblocks. Priya hesitates to come near her when Bharti reveals her identity. The heartbroken Bharti cunningly pushes Priya into domesticity, eyeing Priya’s job. This story shows us different shades of both the characters. Having a more basic and mundane setting than the others, this short explores the intersection of caste, class and gender. While its twist may not be mind-blowing but it will leave you satisfied. 

Unkahi

After themes of caste oppression and sexual repression, we see a story about disability, loneliness, love and heartbreak in Kayoze Irani’s Unkahi. The twist in this story is bittersweet and will leave you teary-eyed. The short does a good job in showing Kabir’s character as more than just his disability. At no point does the audience feel pity for him.  The sheer brilliance with which Kabir (Manav Kaul) and Natasha (Shefali Shah) bring their characters to life is commendable. It is a sensitive short which makes the viewers feel various emotions in its run time. 

All in all, Ajeeb Dastaans gives us diverse characters in non-stereotypical storylines. Each director does something different with their story to set it apart from the others. The one short that stands out is Geeli Pucchi as it beautifully amalgamates various themes and gives us something refreshing to watch. I would recommend watching this anthology mainly for the last two shorts. 

Rating: 3/5