My Melbourne movie review: Imtiaz Ali, Onir, Kabir Khan & Rima Das' anthology narrates the compelling journeys of acceptance & self-discovery

Star cast: Arka Das, Arushi Sharma, Kat Stewart, Ryanna Skye Lawson, Setara Amiri, Brad Hodge, Jackson Gallagher, Mouli Ganguly, Jake Ryan, Ella Wilson

Directors: Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan, Arif Ali, Rahul Vohra

The anthology titly ‘My Melbourne’ is a collaboration between Indo-Australian collaboration, where we see Indian filmmakers Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan, Arif Ali, Rahul Vohra joining hands with actors and local talents in Melbourne to narrate the real stories of the city which revolves around the themes of sexuality, disability, gender and others.

Nandini

Director: Onir

The first anthology, co-directed by William Duan, narrates the story of Indraneel (Arka Das), who lives with his boyfriend. He gets a visit from his father Mihir (Mouli Ganguly) in the city, who has been estranged from him for years after his mother’s demise, to complete the Asthi Visarjan ash spreading ceremony. Right from the emotional reunion to the complexities of the father-son relationship, Nandini beautifully explores the elements of love, loss, grief and acceptance.

Jules

Creative Director: Imtiaz Ali

Director: Arif Ali

Just like Ali’s previous stories, Jules also takes us on a journey of self-discovery. Sakshi (Aarushi Sharma), a newlywed Punjabi girl from India, is struggling to adapt in the new city. He is low in confidence but has aspirations. While her daily routine from home to the workplace looks general, Ali smartly conveys the protagonist’s lack of awareness and understanding as she is out of her comfort zone. Sakshi is intimidated by Jules (Kat Stewart), a homeless woman, who stays near the workplace and often hurls curses on her and solves crosswords. Ultimately, Jules makes a subtle impact of her words and presence, which makes Sakshi realize her self-worth.

Emma

Director: Rima Das

Rima narrates the story of empowerment and resilience with her third anthology. Emma (Ryanna Skye Lawson), a talented deaf dancer, who is in her early twenties, overcomes several obstacles to ace expressive dance forms and shows her worth.

Setara

Director: Kabir Khan

Setara has a recall value of Kabir Khan’s previous works of Kabul Express and ‘83 as it is the amalgamation of the conflict-torn landscape of Afghanistan and a cricket match. A sportsperson named Setara (Setara Amiri) migrates to London from Afghanistan and it shows her inspirational journey of overcoming apprehensions and self-doubt. The movie also shows the elements of accepting one’s culture and identity with flair and grace.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)