Saket Chaudhary, Zoya Hussain, Kunal Kapoor on exploring love, infidelity in Ankahi Kahaniya-Leisure Information, Firstpost

Kunal Kapoor on his short film in the Netflix India anthology Ankahi Kahaniya: “We have films that celebrate success, perhaps from people, from relationships, but very rarely do we have films that deal with failures.”

The latest anthology from Netflix, Ankahi Kahaniya, deals with the themes of love, loneliness and complex human emotions in three different interpretations against the backdrop of an overarching Mumbai.

Saket Chaudhary’s short film in the series is an unconventional love story that deals with the subject of infidelity between two couples. The quartet includes characters played by Kunal Kapoor, Zoya Hussain, Nikhil Dwivedi and Palomi Ghosh. Written by Chaudhary and Zeenat Lakhani, Kapoor plays Manav, the betrayed husband in one marriage, and Hussain as Tanu, the betrayed wife of another.

When Tanu learns that Arjun (Dwivedi) is cheating on her with Natasha (Palomi), she turns to Natasha’s husband Manav. The two try to reconstruct the beginning of the affair and plan its consequences. As they reflect and reflect on the events that could have led to the affair, the two develop an unusual friendship, a better understanding of themselves and their respective relationships with their spouses.

Maybe a subtle evocation of the cult classic In the Mood for Love or maybe the open ending as a real surprise, the short film made me feel more. What happened to Tanu? Has she left the marriage or not? Chaudhary said in an interview with Firstpost that he believes some answers are better left unsaid.

“Maybe because the encounter between these two characters is so brief. I think they have met a total of four times in their life and this is the story of how they managed to live a lifetime between those short, intimate meetings; it is a great achievement to have a story so haunting feels like you want to know more about her, but that’s as much as I want to tell about her and let you imagine what her life would have been like, “the filmmaker adds.

Hussain’s Tanu is a stirring portrayal of an everyday woman who feels trapped and lonely in a marriage. On her detective hunt with Manav, she admits that she knows Arjun’s previous extramarital relationships and still accepts him again and again. Manav has a fit that is confused to the point of his mind. Tanu breaks down in an emotional turn: “If I am not Mrs. Arjun Mathur, who am I then?” slowly revealing their fear of losing their identity.

Hussain plays the character with great emotional depth and describes the plight of many women. However, she asserts that it wasn’t really emotionally stressful to play the role, but it was quite an achievement to focus on it indeed.

“The character’s emotional arc goes back exclusively to Saket. Tanu is definitely a person that many women will relate to because they have been conditioned so many times to do most things, even if they like it or don’t think that you are very happy and in a place of immense privilege, when you can do exactly what you want and be alone, live how you want. You think you are very noble, graceful, but it challenges you in the long run because you can’t always be perfect, and Tanu is someone who has adhered to everyone else’s demands and wants and standards, but has only now learned for to speak to yourself, “says Hussain.

“But she doesn’t want to whip or misbehave. It’s like, ‘Oh man! I did that and it still wasn’t enough?’ and that was the interesting thing. She doesn’t wake up one day and say, ‘Now I’m going to be a terrible person.’ She just realized her worth and learned it’s not her fault, and that’s what makes the film special. That’s what Saket researched, that everything is fairytale and wonderful, but what then? “Adds the actress .

Kapoor’s Manav was an important factor in Tanu’s journey of discovery. Struggling with past career failures, Manav is certainly the epitome of maturity. He is someone who is defeated. His whole struggle is to accept his failure. In addition to participating in Tanu’s investigation, he forgives his wife and agrees to return home. The story could have taken a different turn, including a revenge saga, but Kapoor says he liked the ending.

“Most relationships are flawed, most people are flawed. And nothing is perfect. We have films that celebrate success, maybe of people, of relationships, but very rarely do we have films that examine the failure, failure of people and relationships in the most interesting part of our history. We need to understand that everyone makes mistakes. And it is important to see through the other person’s point of view as well. And to allow mistakes because it’s very human. “

Saket Chaudhary Zoya Hussain Kunal Kapoor on researching the infidelity of love in Ankahi Kahaniya

From Kunal’s perspective, Chaudhary also shares his insights into the end of the short film. He adds, “Men are often judged by what they achieve in life. And with Manav’s character, Tanu reminds him that he is a wonderful father, husband and why that is not enough for him Men are constantly being judged on their professional success, which suggests that they cannot have any other identity. But then, when he discovers he could, he decides to return home and be the man that Natasha always saw in him. “

“Meanwhile, in spite of what they are doing today in terms of education, careers, women are ultimately scrutinized for the nature of their relationship. And Tanu is someone who sacrificed everything for her marriage, even if her identity is tied to it. So it was important for Tanu that she go away, find herself and then maybe find a relationship later in life. “

About believing in a second chance in life

While the short film is heavily concerned with infidelity, the underlying theme also suggests second chances, acceptance and letting go. The trio firmly believes in the institution of the second chance.

Hussein: I believe in second chances in general and especially in matters of the heart.

Kapoor: Yes absolutely. Second chances for yourself on a personal level and second chances for your partner or in any relationship you find yourself in.

Chaudhary: I think a relationship is a process of forgiving the other person and yourself almost every other day. It is something that you have to learn. So it can be a second, fourth, or fifty chance of asking for forgiveness, giving when needed, and trying to get it to work.

What makes a great love story

Kapoor: Background music!

Hussein: Drama and details

Chaudhary: The meeting, the separation and the reunion. In our case, things may seem opposite, but I think these three events and how to develop them make up a great love story.

Ankahi Kahaniya is streaming on Netflix India.

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