Modern Love Mumbai: A Warm Embrace from The City of Dreams.

Six different stories, Six different connotations of love, but one thing that binds them all together is Mumbai.

Adapted from the essays of the New York Times column Modern Love, this 6 part series is a celebration of love, ambitions, and Mumbai.

Quick Synopsis: This anthology revolves around different people from Mumbai and their love stories in multiple forms: platonic, romantic, parental, and self love.

Throughout the years, we've seen Mumbai through the cinematic lens. The flyovers, the streets, the people, the food, etc. What could these six directors bring to the table that hits different, I thought to myself. What could make it worth the watch? Directors Alankrita Shrivastava, Hansal Mehta, Shonali Bose, Nupur Asthana, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Dhruv Sehgal bring these themes together in this 6 part series and give you a warm embrace of all the love and acceptance Mumbai has to offer.

Directed by Shonali Bose, starring Fatima Sana Shaikh Raat Rani is the first story in the anthology. Lalzari's saga starts with her marriage coming to an abrupt haul when her husband decides to leave her, but what follows is a story of a woman rising from the ashes and finding happiness with her own self. Fatima Sana Shaikh's performance is too good to miss and a breath of fresh air, she shines throughout with her strong Kashmiri dialect. Becoming the hero of her own book, she exuberates a love stronger than anyone, for herself. To her, crossing the flyover is a start to her ambitions and life that she so yearned for but was piling up in a corner because of the holy grounds of marriage. On this journey of emancipation from her old self, she truly blossoms into the Raat Raani.

Next, we have Hansal Mehta's Baai, starring Pratik Gandhi, Ranveer Singh Barar, and veteran actress Tanuja. The story revolves around a gay man struggling to reveal his sexual identity to his matriarch, who is in her final moments. This particular episode to me was a musical declaration of love, that love drives out hate. Love can be expressed in any form. Manzu's story is a musical tribute to love. To his father, homosexuality might be a "one-way ticket to hell" but despite that, he empowers himself and paints his own rainbow in a mundane sky. An episode filled with emotions and heart-felt melodies, Ranveer Brar is a delight to watch whereas Pratik Gandhi lets his eyes do the talking.

Mumbai Dragon is by far the one that speaks volumes amongst the rest. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Meiyang Chang, Yeo Yann Yann, and Wamiqa Gabbi is a bittersweet tale of a mother-son duo. Taking you to the Indo-Chinese community of Mumbai is a story of a mother who is unable to accept her son's girlfriend. Whilst watching this story unfold, Vishal tries to portray the idea that when you love someone, it's okay to let them go because if you hold on to that love it might become suffocating for them. It also beautifully portrays the familial/platonic bond that Ming's mother Sui shares with the Sikh man played by Naseeruddin Shah. With amazing performances by Meiyang Chan, and Yeo Yann Yann (props to her for learning Hindi and speaking so fluently), It is a flavourful episode with some sweet and sour moments, serving you with the warmth of a mother's love.

Alankrita Shrivasata's My Beautiful Wrinkles stars Sarika as Dilbar Sodhi, a pessimistic woman who can't seem to look at the brighter side, and on the other hand, Danesh Razvi as Kunal Shah, a timid and shy man who struggles with his social skills. The 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' director grapples with a territory barely seen in mainstream cinema i.e. elder women and their sexuality. Through Dilbar, Alankrita takes you on a journey of accepting the idea of old age and loving yourself despite the many wrinkles on your body, the idea of being desired even when your hair turns grey. Sarika and Danesh's chemistry is noticeable and sweet to watch, but the director leaves their relationship up to their fantasies.

I love Thane is probably one of the most 'modern' stories in the series. Dhruv Sehgal's directorial starring Ritwik Bhowmik and Masaba Gupta is about a Saiba, a 30-year-old woman's search to find 'the one' for herself. In a generation, where dating apps are taking over the quintessential idea of a date and making everything virtual, it's hard to find someone who can stay true to themselves, you never know when you're being catfished! Sehgal tries to show the loneliness one can feel in the midst of finding the Mr. Right for themselves. Ritwik and Masaba both do a commendable job at portraying their characters with utmost vulnerability, which makes you relate to their characters more than you expect, with intriguing conversations between the two that makes you sit through the episode. Ultimately, the moral of this story is love strikes when you least expect it and sometimes even in unexpected places!

Finally, Nupur Asthana's Cutting Chai offers you a steaming cup of a woman's lost ambitions as she struggles with dodging her career and her married life. Starring Chitrangada Singh and Arshad Warsi, this episode dwells on Latika's (Chitrangada) dilemma of what could've been which leads to her husband Danny (Arshad) being subjected to her dissatisfaction. Nupur takes a creative jump to make it look more interactive. Through Latika, she tries to express the idea of how it is okay if partners are on the road to figuring out their wants. The world is changing, so it is completely normal for a person to feel this way too. Just like Danny says, "Life is as complicated and as simple as you make it". Both Chitrangada Singh and Arshad Warsi play their characters with immense versatility giving the audience yet another reason to watch.

The show is an ode to Mumbai in the form of little love notes that is curated into a six-hour-long series, Each episode brings in a different story but ends with a feeling of acceptance and engulfs you in a hug that only the city of dreams can give you. Watch it at a slow pace instead of binging it, because love takes time (and patience).

You can stream Modern Love: Mumbai on Amazon Prime India

Let me know your thoughts? Did you watch the show? which episode was your favorite? Thank you for stopping by and have a great week ahead!