Modern Love Mumbai: Fatima's Raat Raani & Masaba-Ritwik's I Love Thane stand out in stories about love

Modern Love Mumbai is an anthology of 6 diverse yet universal stories of multiple human emotions, all rooted in love. It explores love in all of its complicated and beautiful forms, as well as its effects on the human connection. It is the journey of 6 protagonists from different backgrounds, with different experiences and varied quests that put them on the path of love and self-discovery. 

These are 6 unique stories of modern love in all its glory. Love stories of not just romance but self-love, familial love, the love of partnerships, friendship, and the love that emerges out of kindness towards others but most importantly towards oneself. Modern is a characteristic here and does not refer to technology; it refers to something urban. How a cosmopolitan, emerging, developing city of the third world shapes and connects people, sometimes strangers. These 6 stories, driven by the vision of 6 eclectic front-running filmmakers of Indian cinema, also explore different textures, parts and faces of the city of dreams, Mumbai.

We got a chance to watch the anthology just in time before it went live on Amazon Prime Video, and here's what we thought about each story.

MY BEAUTIFUL WRINKLES – directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, starring Sarika, Danesh Razvi, Ahsaas Channa

This story narrates a rather unique tale, and while at the face of it, it may seem like a story about two people with a bizarre thought and a huge age difference, but it displays so much more with time. Truly one of my top 3 from this anthology, it talks about acceptance, letting go, and a little more of all those things. Without being preachy, it gives you lessons about a lot of things, and for most part, it is subtle and effective.

Sarika as Dilbar and Danesh as Kunal are both absolutely impressive. They share this instant chemistry on-screen, without which, this story could have been a huge bummer. This story is truly proof of what good actors can do with a great script, and we say cheers to that.

Ratings: **** stars (4/5)

RAAT RANI – directed by Shonali Bose, starring Fatima Sana Shaikh, Bhupendra Jadawat and Dilip Prabhavalkar

Could we ever get enough of Shonali Bose? The answer is always going to be no. She is one of the finest filmmakers we have, and I could definitely bet my life on how her film can never go wrong with female subjects. Fatima plays the role of Lalzari, and in the very beginning, we are shown how her husband of 10 years leaves her, and what follows is more than just moving on, it is also breaking the shackles of 'not allowed', rediscovering yourself one step at a time, and some more.

Fatima as Lalzari is phenomenal - be it her accent, the expressions, or even the sheer spirit that she is able to display throughout this story. There's this entire bit about 'crossing the flyover', and what it signifies as well as how it is shown, is such an impactful moment that I think it'd stay with me for a while, if not forever. Both Bhupendra and Dilip play their parts well, but the fact is that this is a Fatima show all the way.

Ratings: ***1/5 stars (4.5/5)

BAAI – directed by Hansal Mehta, starring Tanuja, Pratik Gandhi and Ranveer Brar

This story is about homosexuality, a family's reaction, and the entire struggle to being able to just be, and sadly, this one is a tad bit disappointing. With names like Hansal Mehta, Tanuja, and Pratik Gandhi, you expect nothing short of excellence. However, though everyone has managed to act well, the story is typical in most parts. Something that made me uncomfortable were the intimate scenes, which if couldn't have been shown properly, could have been skipped all together, because they were shabby. Though it all ends of a good note, the performances don't save the day for this one.

Ratings: **1/2 stars (2.5/5)

MUMBAI DRAGON – directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, starring Yeo Yann Yann, Meiyang Chang, Wamiqa Gabbi and Naseeruddin Shah

Something different, but not all that different, that's what the story of Mumbai Dragon sounds like. It talks about caste, culture, and all those things we know about, but this time, it is from a different perspective, and that, definitely makes a difference. Also, Yeon Yann Yann is an amazing actor, and I'd love to see more of her work.

Meiyang and Wamiqa both play their roles just fine, and they happen to pick up on small things, ensuring that none of it looks forced. Vishal's direction is amazing, and oh, don't miss that Anurag Kashyap appearance. (not a spoiler!) Naseeruddin Shah, as usual, adds value to every project he is a part of, even if it is in a supporting role. 

Ratings: **** stars (4/5)

I LOVE THANE – directed by Dhruv Sehgal, starring Masaba Gupta, Ritwik Bhowmik, Prateik Babbar, Aadar Malik and Dolly Singh

The beauty of 'I Love Thane' will truly stay with me forever. There's no rocket science to this story, but there's so much depth. Also, due credits to the writer, for the dialogues are really touching, and Masaba as Saiba is a treat to watch. Though not a 34 year old, she's relatable max, and that's where my bias for this story did kick in. As someone trying to find 'someone' through apps, while navigating her insecurities, she happens to meet Parth through work, and offline, and that's how it all starts.

Another very simple story, but there's this absolute beauty to it, and that clicks on multiple levels. Masaba should definitely act more, and do such roles in particular, for she adds substance to them and how. As for Ritwik, we've seen just how amazing he is, and this one turned out to be no different. And oh, as someone who is a die heart fan of Little Things, Dhruv Sehgal is a magician, and he should most definitely write and direct more often.

Ratings: **** stars (4/5) (if I was allowed to be biased, this would've been a 5/5)

CUTTING CHAI – directed by Nupur Asthana, starring Chitrangda Singh and Arshad Warsi

During our conversation, director Nupur mentioned on multiple occasions how Cutting Chai is a very simple, slice of life story, and that truly reflects on the screen as well. One of the most simple stories out of the 6, yet, it touches your heart in more ways than one. This one narrates the story of Latika, an aspiring writer, trying to finish her book but is caught up between family, husband, and chores. However, it isn't on that very note that the story ends.

As Arshad's character, Daniel spoke about 'cutting chai', it is technically not enough, and you always keep wanting for more, but it has its own beauty, and that's the thing about this story too. Arshad and Chitrangada, both slide into the characters of Daniel and Latika (respectively) rather beautifully, and well, we expect nothing less. As a working woman, Latika's emotions are rather universal, and married or not, one feels that way at some point, and that does make it beautiful.

Ratings: ***1/5 stars (3.5/5)

So, which one do you think you'd want to watch first? We've called our favourites!