Modern Love Mumbai Review

Preview

Pritish Nandycreated the romantic comedy anthology series Modern Love Mumbai, which had its Amazon Prime Video debut on May 13, 2022. It is an Indian production in the Hindi language. Each episode lasts between 40 and 45 minutes.

According to the American anthology seriesModern Love, Modern Love Mumbai is the chapter set in Mumbai.

Six Tales of Love. Six tributes to Mumbai. The wildly famous New York Times column Modern Love, made into a TV show based in New York, now has a Mumbai counterpart. Mumbai is a lot like New York City because it can accommodate the millions of people that continually move there, adding to the already existing population and straining at the limits.

Where else can you get some air, have a little fun, and take a much-needed vacation from the daily grind than the oceanfront? And to tales that inspire hope.

Cast

• Fatima Sana Shaikh as Lalzari "Lali"
• Bhupendra Jadawat as Lutfi
• Wamiqa Gabbi as Megha
• Tannishtha Chatterjee as Rayman
• Dilip Prabhavalkar as Nazrul
• Girija Oak as Kirti
• Shovon Jaman as Driver
• Pratik Gandhi as Manzar "Manzu" Ali
• Ranveer Brar as Rajveer
• Tanuja as Baai
• Kashmira Irani as Rehana
• Rushad Rana as Zohaib
• Talat Aziz as Shabbir
• Manasi Joshi Roy as Shaheen
• Yeo Yann Yann as Sui
• Meiyang Chang as Ming
• Naseeruddin Shah as Pappi Singh
• Anurag Kashyap as Self
• Imaad Shah as Self
• Sarika as Dilbar Sodhi
• Danesh Razvi as Kunal
• Navneet Nishan as Raj Puri
• Purnima Rathod as Reena
• Yamini Das as Seema Sanghvi
• Ahsaas Channa as Siya
• Tanvi Azmi as Author Nilofer
• Rahul Vohra as Vijay Baijal
• Masaba Gupta as Saiba
• Ritwik Bhowmik as Parth
• Dolly Singh as Aashna
• Nazneen Madan as Reema
• Meherzan Mazda as Abdullah
• Prateik Babbar as Rohan
• Aadar Malik as Suhas
• Chitrangada Singh as Latika
• Arshad Warsi as Daniel "Danny"
• Flora Jacob as Daniel's mother
• Pushtii Shakti as Alicia Martins
• Mita Vashisht as Amal Ali

Plot

Like the city, which is chaotic yet beautiful, liberated yet constricting, and a dichotomy of identities, Amazon Prime's desi equivalent to its swanky New York counterpart is a paradox of identities. The most marketable feeling, after all, is love; therefore, these stories, in true vintage Bollywood style, have a lot to say about it.

However, the novelty has worn off, and you might only agree with some of what you learn. In essence, "Modern Love Mumbai" is a jumble of truth sprinkled with imagination; the meal is sizzling hot; scoop up as soon as possible and take what fits you best.

1. My Beautiful Wrinkles

Director:Alankrita Shrivastava.

Cast:Sarika, Danesh Razvi, and Ahsaas Channa

You may trust Alankrita Shrivastava to connect with women in a way that allows their most exposed selves to shine and forbids you from passing judgment. Isn't it true what they say, "Age is just a number"? Can we tolerate a lady dating a man who is 30 years younger than her?

The actual wrinkles in Sarika's portrayal of Dilbar are the years she has spent protecting herself from the pain of a previous existence. She has barred the route with a rusted, dented antique car just as she has closed the doors to her heart. By touching the same car, a young man (Danesh Razvi) will remove the wrinkles when he enters the same gate.

The writing of Alankrita, which doesn't allow anybody to condemn anyone at any time, and her boldness are her superpowers. A boy more closely her granddaughter's age might win a grandma's heart. Dare you to pass judgment; she can imagine him.

Over and beyond their ages, this is a narrative of two lonely individuals who find love and are inspired to escape their chains. In one scene, Razvi pretends to socialize while standing in front of the mirror, killing my Gen-Z heart. Both Sarika's acting and the photography that depicts their surroundings are stunning.

2. Baai

Director:Hansal Mehta.

Cast:Pratik Gandhi, Ranveer Brar, Tanuja.

If Hansal Mehta is a passionate poet who writes poetry like this, I'll be the first to buy a ticket if he wishes to continue. His characters' existence contains poetry. Ali Sethi's stunning analysis When many people's hopes for love are dashed, Chandni Raat plays in the background, and a song takes over when these individuals accept their circumstances and go on. Although it is about a gay relationship, Baai's appeal lies in the fact that it never makes an effort to stand apart. Regardless of gender, they are viewed as lovers by an organic gaze.

With his large cast, Mehta can produce some of the most touching scenes when Manzu (played by Pratik) is kissed on the neck by Rajveer (played by Ranveer). Or when Baai discovers the untruth and imparts wisdom. This does not imply that Mehta loses his core following.

He is precise in his analysis and even mentions how land politics and religious beliefs have molded Baai's identity. The Mumbai environment has aged alongside Baai, who has experienced riots and wars, notwithstanding how stylish and contemporary their immigrant surroundings are.

But the director also needs to give Tanuja's Baai the attention she deserves. A more complex and accurate picture of the closeness would have been possible.

3. I Love Thane

Director:Dhruv Sehgal.

Cast:Masaba Gupta and Ritwik Bhowmik.

This is the closest representation of the relationship culture that our generation is experiencing, at the risk of sounding too Gen-Z. We don't know the difference between infatuation and true love or between what's real and what isn't. Richard Linklater must admire Dhruv Sehgal's work as a writer and filmmaker.

The author understands how to captivate an audience and keep them engaged long enough to hear the dialogue he crafts between his characters. This time, he even incorporates metaphors. He moves his story from Modern Love: Mumbai to Thane, which might sound the least romantic of all the locations.

As they say, you will discover love in the strangest places. Masaba, as Saiba, can discover a genuine follower in a society that only has plastic ones. She meets the plastic folks while wearing them in her hair. She falls in love the instant she meets a man who she could never have picked right on Tinder.

The unconventionality of it all has a certain charm, and Sehgal understands how to handle it with the natural assistance of his performers. Around Upvan Lake, they roam and talk. Sehgal also recognizes the children who have relocated and left their marks.

4. Mumbai Dragon

Director:Vishal Bharadwaj.

Cast:Meiyang Chang, Wamiqa Gabbi, Yeo Yann Yann, and Naseeruddin Shah.

Filmmaker magician Vishal Bharadwaj easily layers his universe, and he is now improving at using humor. In Mumbai Dragon, the director once again incorporates a significant social issue into a personal narrative. We have always found a method to exclude everyone who has a different appearance from ourselves.

Our people from the North East have experienced casual racism in every aspect of their lives. In his short, Bharadwaj acknowledges and embraces this truth. A Chinese woman with roots in Mumbai dating back to the 1930s lives there in a home that stands for her culture and stands out among Mumbai's other similar-looking homes.

The tension starts when her son Ming (Chang) develops feelings for Gujarati girl Megha (Gabbi), escalating. In response to a character's casual statement, "Ek Chini tumse acha gata hai," Ming answers, "Me Indian hoon." His mother refers to Megha as a vegetarian witch.

Bharadwaj depicts both worlds' vulnerabilities. The fact that those formerly oppressed on film now hold power in Vishal's reality is encouraging. The thorough research and accurate portrayal of the culture stand out. In Vishal's film, even a tiffin box is acceptable from a cultural standpoint, and there is a reason why he is where he is at this particular moment. Chang should sing more since the music is excellent.

5. Raat Rani

Director:Shonali Bose.

Cast:Fatima Sana Shaikh, Bhupendra Jadawat, and Dilip Prabhavalkar.

There are Raat Rani's all about us, as Nilesh Maniyar, a close friend of Shonali's, claimed to have discovered Lalzari (Fatima) in his kitchen. The short by Bose that addresses love for those who have been duped is, without a doubt, our favorite and the best of the bunch.

When your partner abandons you in the middle of the road, who do you love? Yourself. With Lalzari, the group investigates every step of a person's quest for self-discovery. In this one, Fatima Sana Shaikh surpasses herself and becomes a star.

The distinction between the actual Fatima and the fictional Lalzari blurs at a certain point because she captures innocence, arrogance, and fragility so beautifully.

Sonali uses metaphors creatively. A bridge that Lalzari learns to cross, literally and figuratively, is like a trembling cycle that becomes smoother with time?the shattering of societal norms and constraints. Bose and Maniyar had the correct dialogues at the proper times about the class disparity, where na�ve Lalzari fantasizes about riding a two-wheeler across the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (which is forbidden). At the same time, her employer owns land on the moon.

Together, they produce humor in their own right but never allow it to overpower the innocent mood. Even as she conveys the terrible realities of Triple Talaaq, she does so with a feeling of optimism. Even though Raat Rani blooms at night, Lalzari ensures that everyone notices her presence and inhales her aroma regardless of the other trees above her.

6. Cutting Chai

Director:Nupur Asthana

Cast:Arshad Warsi and Chitrangda Singh.

We must have seen folks lost in their dreams if you're like all my friends and routinely take the train as a form of transportation. Cutting Chai is a gesture to everyone who came to this city with hopes but saw those dreams completely dashed, only to be dealt a reality you never imagined. And it leads one to the spot when they reflect on their past and imagine what may have been.

Cutting Chai is a fantastic idea, but we've seen it before. There is undoubtedly a new touch, but more is needed. Singh does a great job of portraying Latika. It's high time the industry looked into her potential. There is no chance that you won't enjoy Arshad since he is in his element. The music is from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, whose name is synonymous with tranquillity.

Review

• What's Good

Almost all love romances include the king or queen as their central character. Each story is intricately written, whether it's about the Kashmiri girl discovering her own life and escaping her husband's shady control or the older woman deciding to be open about her fantasy-filled connection with a man who is more than 30 years younger than her.

Most are simple to understand and quickly identifiable to an urban audience. That is what adds beauty to the story itself.

The directing of Shonali Bose, Vishal Bhardwaj, Hansal Mehta, Alankrita Shrivastava, Dhruv Sehgal, and Nupur Asthana is notable since each of them was able to keep viewers interested for the whole 40-45 minutes of each tale while telling a story in a typical, every day, and ordinary fashion.

While each narrative has its beginning and finish, the directors chose to offer a resolution to each story by illustrating what happens in the characters' lives after the story ends.

In doing so, they were able to demonstrate how each story was somehow related to the others while also illustrating how, in a city like Mumbai, a million different stories are occurring every day in front of each other, completely unaware of one another, all of which have a significant impact on the lives of the people involved.

Pratik Gandhi, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Sarika stand out among the actors, while the rest are equally passable. The fact that none of the protagonists in any of the stories are true stars is advantageous since it means that the weight of the entire narrative isn't placed solely on their shoulders.

It elevates the entire narrative and prevents the viewer from only wanting to watch one particular section because of the appearance of a particular superstar.

The music in the anthology is yet another outstanding aspect that stands out. With "Modern Love: Mumbai," the creators gave the viewers some catchy songs. The music section of web series and OTT shows have yet to be explored too much.

The song by Sonu Nigam sticks with the spectator throughout the Pratik Gandhi-Ranveer Brar tale. After that, the Masaba-Ritwik Bhowmik narrative concludes with a depressing song that the audience will want to listen to again afterward.

• What's Not

'Modern Love: Mumbai's' name is its major flaw. Although every narrative is somehow situated in Mumbai, there must be more of Bombay's romanticism. Bombay does not cause the protagonists to fall in love, which leaves the spectator wondering why the name was chosen.

The central romance plot of the story would have stayed the same if it had been set in any other small city or metro city.

The fact that these love stories are unoriginal is another disappointment. If audiences were regular consumers of Indian OTT material, they would have seen contemporary love stories similar to this one in various collections. Similar love stories set in Mumbai have been shown in a few short films produced by Pocket Films, Dice Media, and even TVF.

Recently, quite a few Netflix India anthologies featured contemporary love stories. Because of this, the novelty of putting a romance tale in Mumbai has mostly been forgotten.

Another significant observation is the love tale presented in the Pratik Gandhi-Ranveer Brar short film. Why is it necessary for there to be at least one homosexual connection in today's anthologies? There is nothing amiss with the connection. But it appears that the creators are consciously attempting to include an LGBTQ+ romance in the plot. Are they attempting to portray themselves as more liberal?

No short film's cinematography was robust in terms of technical aspects. Most lived in various portions of Mumbai, Thane, or the surrounding districts. Additionally, 5 to 10 minutes may have been reduced from several of the stories.

Like the Fatima Sana Shaikh movie, the Arshad Warsi-Chitrangda Singh movie, or the Masaba-Ritwik Bhowmik movie, they all dragged in the middle, and the editing could have been a little sharper to prevent the viewers from wanting to stop watching the movie and quickly check their phones for new messages.

Final Verdict

Everything that defines love in this is laced with a pinch of reality. Love doesn't have a single definition, so just because certain things don't sit well with you doesn't imply they're wrong. Fatima's line "Suraj aur chaand baari baari se aate hai, me dono baar aungi" in a key sequence in Raat Rani is the love one is looking for at the moment.

Modern Love Mumbai has a free-thinking aesthetic, but its cinematography is firmly conventional. Unexpectedly, we view the city through the same standard perspective of contemporary Bollywood, with drone pictures of slums juxtaposed against SoBo pretentiousness, Sea Link serving as a metaphor for grief, and Shah Rukh Khan's home serving as an allegory for your arrival.

The movie "Modern Love Mumbai" delves into various subjects while dismantling obstacles. Its main lesson for me is that if receiving love from others is your only form of money, you will run out of it quickly.

Despite being excellent love stories, the plots don't appear to have anything to do with Bombay or why they were placed there. While the stories focus on minor issues or challenges experienced by Mumbaikars, not a single one of them exploits the city as the center of the romance subplot.