Lust Stories 2 Review : A Mixed Bag of Sensuality and Storytelling

06 June 2023,Mumbai: Cast: Amruta Subhash, Angad Bedi, Kajol, Kumud Mishra, Mrunal Thakur, Neena Gupta, Tamannaah Bhatia, Tillotama Shome, Vijay Varma
Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma, Konkona Sen Sharma, R. Balki, Sujoy Ghosh
Streaming Partner: Netflix
Ratings: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: Lust Stories 2, like many other books collected in the post-corona era, offers a mixture of stories that will give you a variety of perspectives. Each piece brings something different to the table, with Konkona Sen Sharma’s contribution standing out as a gem, while Sujoy Ghosh’s attempts to add a fantasy element fall flat R Balki’s essay begins the collection with a light and emotive story. The oldest woman in the household goes around wisdoming the younger generations about the importance of equality in a physical relationship before marriage is an obvious take on the idea that they will choose about the partner, reminiscent of Jehangir Khan and Kaira's meeting in "Priya Zindagi" ."

Nina Gupta shines brightly in her role as the grandmother, adding a hint of humor to the film. Konkona Sen Sharma's "The Mirror" is an interesting hybrid story. The film explores the discovery of a tailor who discovers that his maid and her maid's husband had been close to each other in his bedroom during his absence Konkona takes the story in more evocative directions than his' the focus will be on anger and loneliness. It subtly addresses the class divide and the hypocrisy we display when it comes to acknowledging our own sexual orientation.

The unspoken understanding between the characters makes the story real, while the rollercoaster-like visuals of the play keep the audience engaged Tillothama Shome and Amrita Subhash with performances fear gives, and makes the matter worse.

Unfortunately, the weakest relationship in the collection is Sujoy Ghosh's "Sex With X," which treats the story of celebrity couple Vijay Verma and Tamannaah Bhatia Ghosh like a story forced to news erotic enough to fit the collection. The fantasy element reminds me of Ghosh's short film "Ahalya", but fails to attract the viewers. The story lacks an intriguing story, and the overuse of green screen creates a creepy quality that brings "Cheap Wanda Vision" vibes to mind.

The segment, directed by Amitarvindanath Sharma and starring Kajol and Kumud Mishra, has its moment. However, the overall approach seems inconsistent. Its unsettling detail deserves to be tightly done, as the first twist fails to shock viewers despite its subtlety. The second twist is confusing, moving away from the expected victory of good over evil. The build up to the climax, including the racist nature of Kumud Mishra’s character and Kajol’s character facing sexual abuse, fails to register strongly The piece had the potential to explore gray and bleak spaces but falls short of leaving significant impact.

The sequence is well structured, with Balki’s part providing the first 20 minutes of a typically entertaining film. Konkona Sen Sharma's film sets the tone with a nuanced story, while Sujoy Ghosh's film disrupts the rhythm with its brilliant treatment Amit Sharma's film gives hope for a strong ending, however it would have benefited from a detailed narrative to evoke deeper sympathy for Kajol’s character.

Overall, Lust Stories 2 is an anthology that offers a range of experiences, from delightful and thought-provoking segments to those that miss the mark. It's a mixed bag that will leave viewers with differing opinions but still offers some enjoyable moments of storytelling.