Ajeeb Daastaans

This 2021 Indian anthology consists of four short films by four different directors, all concerned with the uncomfortable feelings accumulating beneath broken relationships. The segments take on class, caste, disability, infidelity and desire, and none of them closes with any relief. The most discussed is the story of a relationship between two women working at a factory, which handles caste and sexual orientation at the same time; with Konkona Sen Sharma and Aditi Rao Hydari, it was regarded as one of the few Indian films to treat caste this directly. The other segments are not of equal strength and the collection as a whole is uneven. It was released on streaming. Who it's for: viewers who like short film anthologies and Indian cinema that takes on social questions. Who it's not for: anyone expecting every segment to be at the same level; the quality varies noticeably between them.