An eye-opener for strong and vibrant relationships
The lockdown imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown many lives and relationships out of gear. At the same time, some creators have overcome the obstacles to discover new ways to produce amazing forms of art. Many films were filmed and produced by following the guidelines of social distance and by taking all the precautions. Another addition to this lockdown collection is the new miniseries Lockdown Rishtey streaming now on MXPlayer which is an anthology of five short films and it’s a satirical take on relationships and the effects of lockdown on relationships.
Faasley
Presented by Ritwik Dhanjani, this is the story of a couple Uday (Rohit Roy) and Seema (Gurdeep Kohli Punj) who reach the stage of divorce due to various misunderstandings. The lockdown opens an avenue for this couple to realize what went wrong in their relationship so that they can rectify their mistakes and continue their journey together.
Zidd
Presented by Arjun Punjj, this is the tale of Pinky (Dharshana Ghatraj) and her father Zia Ahmed Khan in Lucknow. Pinky wants to elope with her boyfriend Munna (Saad Bilgrami) but the lockdown forces her to become a prisoner in her own house. Inadvertently, Munna whose friend got infected with the virus has locked himself so that the family members of Pinky are safe thereby winning the heart of Pinky’s father too.
Rail Ka Dibba
Presented by Suchitra Pillai, this story dwells on a joint family with Sunny (Abhishek Kapur) returning from a lavish independent flat in Singapore who has to stay with his 10 member family in New Delhi due to lockdown. Though the house is small, the hearts of people residing in this house are big and they used to enjoy life fully. The lack of privacy, space constraint, and homemade food make Sunny frustrated who vents out his feelings as a result he was left alone by his family members. Finally, better wisdom prevails and he realizes the importance of relationships in a joint family and sheds his misconceptions to rejuvenate the relationship.
Maths
Presented by Mansi Joshi Roy, this is the story of Munmum (Komalika Guha Thokurta) who is about to enter into wedlock with Abhay (Shubh Mukherjee) but due to professional imbalances in the form of salary and status both wanted to cancel their marriage. Abhay who gets stranded in Bangalore requests Munmum to convince his family members. Munmum who meets her future in-laws too gets stranded at their place but gets floored by their affection and love. Her equation of life and income goes for a toss before the equation of love which defies every equation in the mathematics of life. The lockdown provided an opportunity for Munmum to know the importance of love which made her change the decision and go ahead with the marriage.
Farqzubaan
Presented by Prerna Panwar, this is an excellent show of pets’ reaction to lockdown which was beautifully captured. They had voices of some renowned artistes like Ronit Roy, Anjum Fakih, Kunal Bhan, Guien, Satarupa Naha, Ria Datta, Brianna Supriyo, Vishno Warrier, and Abhijit Das who made this episode a real classic. Great job guys!
Not to forget Harshwardhan Dixit and Shobhraj for their excellent background score and editing respectively.
Verdict & Rating
On the whole, it’s a very enlightening miniseries which depict relationship blues in true format. The director Abhijit Das deserves full credit along with Samidha Khalid for effectively conveying the message through an emphatic story, screenplay, and dialouges.
Lockdown Rishtey which does not have a cinematographer as entire episodes are shot on mobile phones is a superlative effort despite many other constraints while following all precautions imposed due to the Covid-19 situation.
It’s nothing short of an eye-opener for strong and vibrant relationships amidst stress and strain as any healthy relationship is the panacea for all problems.
Rating: 4/5
