Directors: Raj & DK, Nitya Mehra, Nikkhil Advani, Tannishtha Chaterjee, Avinash Arun

Cast: Gulshan Devaiah, Sumeet Vyas, Saiyami Kher, Richa Chadda, Abhishek Banerjee, Ratna Pathak Shah, Shardul Bharadwaj, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Rinku Rajguru, Lillete Dubey

Language: Hindi

It seems to be raining anthologies, all thanks to OTT platforms. Unpaused released on Amazon Prime Video is a set of five short films that capture life during the lockdown. Filmed during the pandemic, Unpaused shows the lives of people from all spheres of life who are trying their best to survive during the pandemic.

The anthology kicks off with Glitch by Raj & DK which has a futuristic theme. Years have passed and COVID-19 has morphed into something uncontainable. Man is yet to find a cure and socialising is something that is unheard of.  The cost of staying safe is loneliness. A virtual date between two strangers (Gulshan Devaiah and Saiyami Kher) turns into something more hopeful and beautiful. With an almost Black Mirror aura, Glitch is a bit scary and lovely at the same time.

The Apartment starring Richa Chadda and Sumeet Vyas tells the story of an anxiety ridden modern woman who is struggling between finding her voice and accepting sexual assault allegations against her famous journalist husband (Sumeet Vyas). As she struggles to keep her anxiety at bay, a stranger’s deeds help her find solace. Directed by Nikkhil Advani, The Apartment witnesses an effortless Richa Chadda struggling with mental health issues even as she wrestles to come to terms with her truth.

RAT-A-TAT directed by Tannishtha Chaterjee is a feel-good lockdown story that brings a smile to the face. Lillete Dubey is 65-year-old woman living alone and Rinku Rajguru as Priyanka is a broke young woman with a helping heart. An encounter with a rat leads to a lovely friendship between the two and soon they share life moments and some music. The companionship is soothing to watch, and the casting is spot on.

Next up is Vishaanu by Avinash Arun which gives us a slice of lockdown life of migrant workers in Mumbai. Easily the most hard-hitting of the lot, Vishaanu brings us Abhishek Banerjee and Geetika Vidya who play the roles of migrant workers struggling to get back home to Rajasthan. Their circumstances force them to secretly use an empty rich apartment till they find a way out. With superb acting and a solid screenplay, Vishaanu has scenes that are beautifully scripted and executed. There is a particularly lovely scene with Geetika taking a bubble bath with roses stolen from a temple and another one with a viral video featuring the couple. Small and subtle moments hit a punch in Vishaanu.

Nitya Mehra brings to us Chand Mubarak starring Ratna Pathak Shah and Shardul Bharadwaj. Rafiq (Shardul) is an auto driver with a kind heart and Uma (Ratna Pathak Shah) is a senior citizen who is independent and stubborn. A simple trip to a pharmacy leads to an unlikely friendship between the two and what ensues is a lovely tale full of nuances and subtlety. We soon learn that Rafiq cannot visit his family due to the lockdown and Uma is dealing with her brother’s death. Small moments that give us hope in humanity solidify the 20 mins that is Chand Mubarak. Shardul Bharadwaj equals Ratna Pathak Shah in his performance and we yearn to see more of him as the film goes by.

Unpaused gives us hope and positive thoughts during these terrible times and let us face it… hope is something we all need right now.

Rating: 3/5