Ajeeb Daastaans Trailer Promises A Multilayered Take On Complex Relationships

The Ajeeb Daastaans trailer released Friday, power-packed with an ensemble cast, delves deep into the intricacies of human relationships. Built as an anthology of shorts directed by Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan and Kayoze Irani, Ajeeb Daastaans is a raw take on the highs and lows, misses and successes that make up our reality - from women being harassed to social hierarchies to parent-child bonds and queer love.

The film, premiering April 16 on Netflix, boasts of seasoned OTT actors like Shefali Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Jaideep Ahlawat, alongside other audience favourites like Manav Kaul, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Aditi Rao Hydari and Konkona Sensharma. Ajeeb Daastaans follows the "unique stories" of their characters as they explore emotions and life.

Ajeeb Daastaans Trailer: An Anthology Of Sensitive Storytelling

The film vividly mirrors society, without much affectation or makeup, which has become a common facet of OTT storytelling that brings honesty to our screens. For instance, the Geeli Pucchis story, directed by Ghaywan, features Hydari and Sensharma traverse uncharted territories of same-sex attraction that is both liberating and daunting.

"It was an alien world for me... There was such innocence and honesty about the way characters were written in the world we created. My intent was to enjoy it guided by my instinct and gut," Hydari said of her role at the trailer launch.

Shah, meanwhile, steps into the powerful shoes of a mother torn between love for her daughter - for whom "sign language is the only language" - and discovering a relationship outside of her marriage with Kaul's character. Bharuccha and Shaikh, in their respective shorts, play women resisting the pressures of patriarchy and male subjugation on the crossroads of class and culture.

The anthology doesn't feature any women directors and yet imparts the largest screen space to female characters who lead each of the four plots on their own terms.

While there is no shadow of doubt on the acting prowess of the female cast, that seems in the Ajeeb Daastaans trailer to have played their roles to sincere perfection, whether their individual stories receive closure with justice remains to be seen when the film releases.

Watch the Ajeeb Daastaans trailer ">here:

Views expressed are the author's own.