3 Storeys Movie Review: Pulkit Samrat-Richa Chadha's Anthology Film is Surprisingly Engaging With A Brilliant First Act

When it comes to anthology as a genre, Bollywood doesn't have much luck with it. When it came back more than a decade ago, Darna Mana Hai was loved by the masses as well as the critics. But not a single movie after that managed to click at the box office. Love Sex Aur Dhoka bowled over the critics but didn't make money, while Dus Kahaniyaan failed to do both. Now can 3 Storeys shuffle things up for the genre? The movie is directed by Arjun Mukherjee and stars Renuka Shahane, Masumeh, Sharman Joshi, Pulkit Samrat, Richa Chadha and newcomers, Ankit Rathi and Aisha Ahmed. It is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under Excel Entertainment, along with Priya Sreedharan.

3 Storeys comprises of three main threads set in a 3-storeyed chawl in a place called Maya Nagar (smart allusion to a twist later) in Mumbai. Though these threads are based in the same locality and some of main characters interact with each other, these stories don't chew into each other. The first thread is about a businessman (Pulkit Samrat) who comes to buy a flat of a supposedly crazy Catholic aunt (Renuka Shahane), despite the high price she quotes. The second story is about a domestic-abuse suffering woman (Masumeh) who faces her ex-lover (Sharman Joshi) in an unexpected situation. The third one is about two star-crossed lovers (Aisha Ahmed and Ankit Rathi) who finds out their families' objections to their love story are not just about their clashing religious identities.

There is also an interlinking and less explored thread of a sultry widow (Richa Chadha…smartly used), who lives her life in her terms, and a meek bald constable (Himanshu Malik... nearly unrecognisable) who is besotted with her.

The movie begins with the idea that behind every face, there is a story to be told.  This give a promising start to a movie that itself has three different premises to offer, even in that common setting. 3 Storeys works like a storybook told by a narrator - it offers us something different with every story, even though not all leave the same kind of impact. And yet you don't really want to stop reading, even when the best part is over.

The first story, involving Pulkit Samrat and Renuka Shahane, is the best of the lot. Revealing too much about it will spoil the premise, but it gives the movie the right kind of start. The twist may be a little predictable, but the culmination will definitely pull the rug off your feet. It also lends to a couple of the best black humour moments I have seen in recent times. Renuka Shahane is simply fab as a doting mother with a devious agenda. This is a role we never expect our sweet bhabhi from Hum Aapke Hai Kaun to be seen in, and that surprise factor works well. Pulkit Samrat still harnesses his inner Salman Khan, but he is surprisingly good in the final moments of the story.

The second and the third stories pale a lot when compared to the first tale. That said, the second tale has some really strong moments, especially in scenes that depict domestic abuse. The twist in the tale here is weak and makes little sense. But as it plays on egoes of humans, maybe it is not outright silly. After all, we are known to act irrationally at times, don't we? The second story also boasts of some fine performances from both Masumeh and Sharman Joshi. Tarun Anand is effective as the abusive husband, even though his character is quite one-dimensional.

The third story is the weakest of the lot, despite the enthusiastic performances of both Ankit and Aisha. It has a lot to do with the fact the twist is something you can smell from a smile, while also being an idea you have seen recently in Dulquer Salmaan's Solo (another anthology flick).

Yes, 3 Storeys can't live up to the brilliance of the first act, but it moves at an engaging pace, with some reality-invoking moments. Like that scene where the court employees judge the interracial couple for eloping, while also issuing the paperwork for the marriage. Or the manager of a seedy hotel that rents out rooms on an hourly basis who insists on seeing the girl. We have seen such characters in real life and 3 Storeys acknowledges their presence. But thankfully, they are not used for shock factor. One more thing to be appreciated is that, despite being set in a chawl, 3 Storeys doesn't make its inhabitants look miserly or languish in poverty. The songs are used sparsely and are melodious.

Sometimes we do wish that the execution, overall, could have been more polished, and some portions have been written better. But the culmination of the movie, that will make you see these characters in a different light, is done beautifully and will leave you with a smile if you are someone who has a knack of writing stories. After all, stories are someone's perceptions too.

Yay!

- The first 'Storey'

- An engaging pace

- Performances by the cast, especially Renuka Shahane and Masumeh

- Works well as an experiment.

Nay!

- The second and third 'Storeys' are weaker with predictable twists.

- Requires more polish execution

- Too niche for general audience

Final thoughts

3 Storeys is a surprisingly engaging anthology with a brilliant first act, and bolstered by some good performances. We do wish that rest of the movie had lived up to the panache of the first story. Still the proceedings are decent to watch even in these portions. Overall, a decent one-time watch that will find more value on a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 08, 2018 11:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).