Ankahi Kahaniya means “Untold Stories” -- and this thought-provoking Hindi language film tells three unusual stories about love, loneliness and longing. For full disclosure, I enjoy anthology movies and wish there were more available each year. For some of us, that’s the only way we get to see short films. There are so many excellent non-feature length films being made, but many people never have the opportunity to watch them. So I am glad Netflix released Ankahi Kahaniya. Now these three fascinating stories are no longer “untold” or unseen.   

Each part of this heartwarming offering from India is helmed by a different director and written by different screenplay authors. Saket Chudhary directed the first tale, Abhishek Chaubey the second and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari the third. Screenwriters are Piyush Gupta, Hussan Haidry and Shreyas Sain.

The first and third stories appealed to me the most, but the second part includes too many dark scenes, which made it difficult for me to follow. However, I did understand the main idea and felt compassion for the young couple (played with conviction by Rinku Rajguru and Delzao Hiwale) trying to deal with serious problems every day back in 1980s Bombay.            

The first story boasts a terrific performance by Abhishek Banerjee who wins us over no matter how strange his behavior seems to be. He projects such real sensitivity in many scenes and makes us smile at his obsession. And in the third section, Zoya Hussein wows us as a woman trying to save her marriage by investigating her husband’s affair.      

Three love stories in one movie.

Pleasing is this anthology. 

First pair includes a lonely guy

and mannequin who makes him sigh.

Second couple needs getaway 

from abuse they face each day.

But single screen theater shows   

    seem to be all that either knows.

Infidelity hits last pair.

A husband cheats; wife in despair.

What she does is unique and brave.

Will it end in a marriage save?

 .Watch for surprises in each tale.

As entertainment, they don’t fail.   

Although not as compelling as Lust Stories (another great anthology film from India), Ankahi Kahaniya is worth seeing, especially for incurable romantics like me.  

Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact. --- Martha Beck

That’s love: Two lonely persons keep each other safe and touch each other and talk to each other. --- Rainer Maria Rilke 

(Released by Netflix and rated “TV-14” by MPAA.)