NRI Life Productions’ NRI Wives (UA) is a film about four different stories which are not connected. The first is Old Secrets, the second is Void Space, the third is Desires, and the fourth is Taboo.
Old Secrets is about Radhika (Raima Sen) and Anu (Sadia Siddiqui) who have had a lesbian relationship. Radhika’s husband, Ashish (Gaurav Gera), is unable to devote much time to Radhika and their little daughter, Aarushi (Saumya Nath). Anu is separated from her husband. Do sparks fly between Radhika and Anu when they meet again?
The second story, Void Space, is about businesswoman Ayesha (Bhagyashree), her husband, Vivek (Kapil Arora), with whom her relations are strained, and her college friend and now film star, Rahul Kapoor (Hiten Tejwani). Ayesha and Rahul get physical, and Vivek gets to know about this. What happens thereafter?
Desires is the story of two couples. Rakesh (Kiku Sharda) and Richa (Sameksha Oswal) are husband and wife. Richa is not happy about Rakesh’s excess weight. She is attracted towards Gaurav (Javed Pathan), who is the husband of Sumedha (Aditi Gowitrikar), Rakesh’s office colleague. Soon, Richa assumes that husband Rakesh and Sumedha are in a relationship. So she almost has an affair with Gaurav. What is the truth about Rakesh and Sumedha?
Taboo also is the story of two couples, who aren’t in the best marriage. Ali (Samir Soni) is married to Noor (Olivia Malhotra). Om (Jugal Hansraj) and Gunjan (Gunjan Kuthiala) are a couple. All the four are unhappy. Ali used to be in a relationship with Gunjan during college days. Anyway, Ali and Om swap their partners one night. What happens thereafter?
The stories of each film have extra-marital affairs as the base. None of the stories offers novelty.
The script of Old Secrets by Gunjan Kuthiala is bold but that’s about all. Performances of Raima Sen, Sadia Siddiqui, Gaurav Gera and Saumya Nath are alright. Vibhu Kashyap’s direction is nothing to dance about. Raju Gawli’s camerawork and Rohini Iris Pola’s production designing are average.
Gunjan Kuthiala’s script in Void Space is predictable and too ordinary. Bhagyashree does well but Hiten Tejwani and Kapil Arora are ordinary. Gunjan Kuthiala, Vidhi Dalia and Suhani Ronghe lend ordinary support. Ray Khan’s direction is not too impressive. Jefferey Fountain’s cinematography is alright.
Desires has a very average story by Gunjan Kuthiala and Samira Fazal. The duo’s screenplay is, at best, ordinary. Even the acting is below the mark. Kiku Sharda, Sameksha Oswal, Aditi Gowitrikar and Javed Pathan are ordinary in their performances. Qaeed Kujweriwala’s direction is average.
Taboo has a dull story by Gunjan Kuthiala and Manisha Sri. Their screenplay is weak. Samir Soni hardly impresses as Ali. Jugal Hansraj is also ordinary. Olivia Malhotra and Gunjan Kuthiala are passable. Ray Khan’s direction is dull. Sanjeev Sharma’s production designing is routine.
Music of all the four short films (Sanjeev Sharma, Niladri Banerjee and Zey Sharma) is average. Lyrics (Sanjeev Sharma, Niladri Banerjee, Subhash Pathak ‘Jiya’ and Gunjan Kuthiala) are weighty. The background music of all the four films (by Ashish Rego, Zey Sharma and Sanjeev Sharma) is less impactful than what it ought to have been. Editing (Mukesh Thakur, Vikas Sharma and Shaju Chandran) is quite sharp.
On the whole, the four films in NRI Wives don’t add up to much. Flop.
Released on 26-5-’23 at PVR Juhu (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru PVR Pictures Ltd. Publicity & opening: very weak. …….Also released all over.