Each story spoke in a different pitch and most importantly each story had it's heart at the right place. My fav are The Glitch by Raj n Dk, Vishanu by Avinash Arun And Chand Mubaarak what a beautiful short film by Nitya Mehra she is ambitious since Baar Baar Dekho and this movie was really towards positive vibe and hope for better. Hats off to all the actors, specially Richa Chaddha in Nikhil Advani's the Apartment , loved Gulshan Devaiah's killer expressions...Watch it you may find yourself in it or you'll learn something
69 Reviews
A so called tribute to lockdown.
MuviFan7318 December 2020
It's collection of five stories revolving around the current lockdown (in India).
My favorites in order. Chand Mubarak > vishaanu > glitch > The Apartment > RAT-A-TAT.
A light encounter which is also praiseworthy. Give it a try, you wont be disappointed.
My favorites in order. Chand Mubarak > vishaanu > glitch > The Apartment > RAT-A-TAT.
A light encounter which is also praiseworthy. Give it a try, you wont be disappointed.
Beautiful stories, Good Performances !!
madhukar3020 December 2020
Unpaused is a wonderful collection of five beautifully crafted short movies that underlines the struggles, confusion, fear, helplessness, anger, loneliness, distress, vulnerability and cowardice that struck our lives once the COVID-19 induced lockdown was announced. the anthology, knitted by a slew of terrific performances, is a pertinent commentary on a pandemic and its depredations.
Cinematography is excellent in all segments, with near perfect production production colouring that is among the best in 2020 Indian cinema. Editing is crisp and neat, making sure none of the five segments drag unnecessarily even one bit. Production design, costumes and makeup were very decent in all segments. Directors Nikkhil Advani, Avinash Arun, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Krishna D.K, Nitya Mehra, Raj Nidimoru have really put in a great effort to ensure good quality returns in their respective segments. Music was subtle and calm throughout the segments depicting the tone of events unfolding within. Acting is generally very good overall, armed with some very good performances by a host of well seasoned actors. With Geetika Vidya Ohlyan performance in Vishaanu segment being the best of the lot.
Overall, Unpaused is important because it serves to chronicle this slice of history, that we all took part into. It helps that it is also an enjoyable, insightful affair where we get a peek into the lives of others, during the pandemic, both rich and poor and see how they conquered their vulnerability. At a run time of 114 for five segments, Unpaused is a breeze that will remind us of our own fear & helplessness during March & April 2020. 7.7 stars out of 10 for the beautiful presentation of heart touching stories.
Cinematography is excellent in all segments, with near perfect production production colouring that is among the best in 2020 Indian cinema. Editing is crisp and neat, making sure none of the five segments drag unnecessarily even one bit. Production design, costumes and makeup were very decent in all segments. Directors Nikkhil Advani, Avinash Arun, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Krishna D.K, Nitya Mehra, Raj Nidimoru have really put in a great effort to ensure good quality returns in their respective segments. Music was subtle and calm throughout the segments depicting the tone of events unfolding within. Acting is generally very good overall, armed with some very good performances by a host of well seasoned actors. With Geetika Vidya Ohlyan performance in Vishaanu segment being the best of the lot.
Overall, Unpaused is important because it serves to chronicle this slice of history, that we all took part into. It helps that it is also an enjoyable, insightful affair where we get a peek into the lives of others, during the pandemic, both rich and poor and see how they conquered their vulnerability. At a run time of 114 for five segments, Unpaused is a breeze that will remind us of our own fear & helplessness during March & April 2020. 7.7 stars out of 10 for the beautiful presentation of heart touching stories.
A Wonderful Anthology to watch
tpatoliya19 December 2020
In its five-part anthology, Unposed mixes all the news from lockdown-related topics of isolation, loneliness, resilience, which have made headlines with average results in this terrible virus-ridden year. Each story is complementary to the other, and the way they are laid out is simple.
The film starts at a high point with glitches and ends better with Chand Mubarak. I liked the last two the most.
Coming into Gulshan Devaiah's film is his routine, picks yet another character and plays it so well that we can't even imagine touching anyone else. Ishwaq Singh's performance is a bonus.
Lilette Dubey never manages to spark happiness again with her appearance as a charmer. Full points for Rinku Rajguru to stand out not only among Lillet's aura but also for her tremendous talent. Abhishek Banerjee has always been an underrated gem for me in many films.
Ratna Pathak Shah plays the lone Maya Sarabhai in the film. My greatest path among this talented group of people is to become Shardul Bhardwaj. Acting opposite Ratna Pathak Shah is difficult and hopefully, you will notice. Shardul makes the most of the limited he gets.
Raj and DK take a modern route to tell their version of the story and love a lot about their world. Nikhil Advani is deep and basic to his story.
Tannishtha Chatterjee's Rat-A-Tat is dialogue-heavy, and its writing really helps keep the intrigue alive. Avinash Arun Bong is a small sub-plot from Bong-Jun-Ho's 'Parasite'. Nitya Mehra lets her characters do major lift-ups while keeping everything original. The background score is equally good in every story.
Beautifully lost with unprecedented performance, the anthology deserves more as a whole package.
The film starts at a high point with glitches and ends better with Chand Mubarak. I liked the last two the most.
Coming into Gulshan Devaiah's film is his routine, picks yet another character and plays it so well that we can't even imagine touching anyone else. Ishwaq Singh's performance is a bonus.
Lilette Dubey never manages to spark happiness again with her appearance as a charmer. Full points for Rinku Rajguru to stand out not only among Lillet's aura but also for her tremendous talent. Abhishek Banerjee has always been an underrated gem for me in many films.
Ratna Pathak Shah plays the lone Maya Sarabhai in the film. My greatest path among this talented group of people is to become Shardul Bhardwaj. Acting opposite Ratna Pathak Shah is difficult and hopefully, you will notice. Shardul makes the most of the limited he gets.
Raj and DK take a modern route to tell their version of the story and love a lot about their world. Nikhil Advani is deep and basic to his story.
Tannishtha Chatterjee's Rat-A-Tat is dialogue-heavy, and its writing really helps keep the intrigue alive. Avinash Arun Bong is a small sub-plot from Bong-Jun-Ho's 'Parasite'. Nitya Mehra lets her characters do major lift-ups while keeping everything original. The background score is equally good in every story.
Beautifully lost with unprecedented performance, the anthology deserves more as a whole package.
Chand Mubarak was so refreshing!!!
viamob21 December 2020
Shardul bharadwaj. Bhai sahabbbb!!! didn't know your name, waited for all the titles to go through till I got your name. You have acted so controlled so much what was required, I hope to see you lots. Ratnajiii is always amazing. And the story was something we all needed peace.
Hope unpaused
admanrege10 January 2021
"sab kuch mumkin hai, agar tujhmein ummeed hai" - this is what the anthology starts with. So these are stories of hope during covid-19 which has been the most hopeless period for everyone the world over.
Here's my view about the films within Unpaused:
1) Glitch - Three names: Raj & Dk (Family Man), SuperGullu (everything he's into), and Saiyami Kher (Choked) made me go through the bakwas that this story is. RajDk make a 'slightly futuristic' film with the future in the film being let's say 2 years away from this year (2021). Supergullu is not so super in his selection of this film, even though he is known to be "moody" in his selection. Saiyami Kher - you can't ignore her coloured eyes; about everything else, ignore. Overall, this film takes COVID-19 out of context and is probably someone's dream/nightmare. Maybe, that's why the use of so much colour. GLITCH: yeah, the one scene with Gulshan D in CU almost shedding a tear is the only moment where there is something of that Gulshan-Devaiah-we-know seen. 2.5 stars.
2)The Apartment - the anthology says: set and filmed in the Covid-19 lockdown. This is the only film that is irrelevant to the above claim. The makers probably wanted to make something during #MeToo, missed it, and then combined that story idea with the SSR matter - what with the dupatta and all, added a few masks, added "zoom" calls, and called it "during covid times". Blah. Acting good. Film bad.
3) Rat-a-tat - Lillete Dubey shines. So does Rinku Rajguru. Lillete as an old Bombay bungalow owner (everyone owes her everything kind), who'd come to Bombay as a newcomer once, who still has an ego larger than her need and Rinku Rajguru as a new newcomer to Mumbai who also has an ego larger than her need. Then, Lillete bakes a cake and tells Rinku: "mere jaisi mat ban jana". Beautiful short story, completely believably relevant during covid times, which makes a statement about the way we all reflected within ourselves during these times. Full marks to Tannishtha Chatterjee. She delivers. And her job must have been made easy with Lillete and Rinku.
4) Vishanu - Chronicling possible actual events, this is the best of the stories in Unpaused. Abhishek Banerjee and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan are marvellous. These were the stories which never made the news, but made the deepest impact on people during these Covid-19 times. And you truly feel the "ummeed" that so many people are alive on in these times of Covid-19. Truly truly wonderful short. The cinematography and direction needs special mention - visual motifs like a twisted empty road, muted dull colours, darkness, closed shutters, cloudy grey skies which open up slightly during "opportune moments", etc indicate that the director gave it a lot of thought. Superbly made.
5) Chand Mubarak - very relevant story during these times, but again an attempt to add "communal harmony". Didn't need it. Shouldn't the filmmaker not add anything that is unnecessary? In fact, without the communal angle, it would have worked better. Shardul Bharadwaj and Ratna Pathak Shah are both amazing as their characters. The last scene is so well done that it feels as if it's really a moment between a Bombay Rickshaw-wala (and not from anywhere else truthfully) and a citizen of Bombay - and that moment is the depiction of the sentiment that people in this world have discovered within themselves during these covid-19 times.
ONLY for the last three stories, this film deserves a 7 Let's ignore the first two stories.
Here's my view about the films within Unpaused:
1) Glitch - Three names: Raj & Dk (Family Man), SuperGullu (everything he's into), and Saiyami Kher (Choked) made me go through the bakwas that this story is. RajDk make a 'slightly futuristic' film with the future in the film being let's say 2 years away from this year (2021). Supergullu is not so super in his selection of this film, even though he is known to be "moody" in his selection. Saiyami Kher - you can't ignore her coloured eyes; about everything else, ignore. Overall, this film takes COVID-19 out of context and is probably someone's dream/nightmare. Maybe, that's why the use of so much colour. GLITCH: yeah, the one scene with Gulshan D in CU almost shedding a tear is the only moment where there is something of that Gulshan-Devaiah-we-know seen. 2.5 stars.
2)The Apartment - the anthology says: set and filmed in the Covid-19 lockdown. This is the only film that is irrelevant to the above claim. The makers probably wanted to make something during #MeToo, missed it, and then combined that story idea with the SSR matter - what with the dupatta and all, added a few masks, added "zoom" calls, and called it "during covid times". Blah. Acting good. Film bad.
3) Rat-a-tat - Lillete Dubey shines. So does Rinku Rajguru. Lillete as an old Bombay bungalow owner (everyone owes her everything kind), who'd come to Bombay as a newcomer once, who still has an ego larger than her need and Rinku Rajguru as a new newcomer to Mumbai who also has an ego larger than her need. Then, Lillete bakes a cake and tells Rinku: "mere jaisi mat ban jana". Beautiful short story, completely believably relevant during covid times, which makes a statement about the way we all reflected within ourselves during these times. Full marks to Tannishtha Chatterjee. She delivers. And her job must have been made easy with Lillete and Rinku.
4) Vishanu - Chronicling possible actual events, this is the best of the stories in Unpaused. Abhishek Banerjee and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan are marvellous. These were the stories which never made the news, but made the deepest impact on people during these Covid-19 times. And you truly feel the "ummeed" that so many people are alive on in these times of Covid-19. Truly truly wonderful short. The cinematography and direction needs special mention - visual motifs like a twisted empty road, muted dull colours, darkness, closed shutters, cloudy grey skies which open up slightly during "opportune moments", etc indicate that the director gave it a lot of thought. Superbly made.
5) Chand Mubarak - very relevant story during these times, but again an attempt to add "communal harmony". Didn't need it. Shouldn't the filmmaker not add anything that is unnecessary? In fact, without the communal angle, it would have worked better. Shardul Bharadwaj and Ratna Pathak Shah are both amazing as their characters. The last scene is so well done that it feels as if it's really a moment between a Bombay Rickshaw-wala (and not from anywhere else truthfully) and a citizen of Bombay - and that moment is the depiction of the sentiment that people in this world have discovered within themselves during these covid-19 times.
ONLY for the last three stories, this film deserves a 7 Let's ignore the first two stories.
Relatable! Needs a sequel
samarthtake18 December 2020
A tribute to 2020, COVID-19, and the subsequent lockdowns! [+63%]
arungeorge1319 December 2020
Films made during the ongoing pandemic (such as C U Soon, Putham Pudhu Kaalai, and more) came with their own set of challenges: to stay relevant and current while addressing viewers from a relatable emotional standpoint. Unpaused definitely won't be timeless but if someone in the future were to look back at the year 2020 and its nuances, a film such as this would be a worthwhile reference. Here's a collection of five stories (minus one) where the central character is the coronavirus. Let's break them down one by one.
Glitch: Probably the wackiest and most innovative among the lot, Glitch talks about finding love during prolonged stretches of isolation. Set in the future, technology has improved and dating has gone virtual (thanks to AR & VR), but a legit vaccine is yet to be found. Raj & D.K give their leads (played by Saiyami Kher and Gulshan Devaiah) some thoughtful texture, and the story plays out in a funny-yet-relatable manner and ends with the quintessential 'aww' moment, without plunging into any sort of melodrama.
The Apartment: Directed by Nikkhil Advani, this is the only segment which didn't require a pandemic setting - sexual harassments (in the corporate world), broken marriages, and suicidal tendencies have existed long before the virus outbreak. The depth in plot and characters is certainly lacking, but the performances keep it float. The narrative too is adequately paced and manages to keep viewers engaged throughout, ending on a solid note.
Rat-A-Tat: Tannishtha Chatterjee helms this one, where neighbouring ladies (from two distinct generations) get off on the wrong foot, eventually warming up to each other. Reminding me of the inter-generational warmth spread in few of Putham Pudhu Kaalai's stories, the segment also dives deeper into the notion of women being alone by choice - something that's relatively less explored in Indian cinema. Rinku Rajguru and Lilette Dubey play their parts well enough.
Vishaanu: Cinematographer Avinash Arun Dhaware (known best for Pataal Lok) tells the story of an immigrant labourer's family and their struggles (to get home) and the little joys they indulge in. The immigrant family is now holed up in a sample, unoccupied flat, exploring the luxuries of the rich while wondering how they can relocate back to their village. Conceived and performed in convincing fashion (by Abhishek Banerjee & Geetika Vidya Ohlyan), I found this episode to be the anthology's standout piece.
Chaand Mubarak: A well-off but lone (and ageing) woman strikes a bond with a rickshaw driver during their trips to the supermarkets and medical stores. As expected, the segment begins with a sense of class bias (and dissent between strangers), but the two get to know each other better over their differing interests and backgrounds. The result is a positive evolution for both with the burgeoning realization that living independently or having your family living elsewhere can mean different things to different people. While the plot may seem a tad unrealistic, the performances are earnest.
Overall, Unpaused is worth a watch even if it may not stand the test of time. The pandemic has left its mark on cinema, and Unpaused could well be one of its not-bad outcomes.
Glitch: Probably the wackiest and most innovative among the lot, Glitch talks about finding love during prolonged stretches of isolation. Set in the future, technology has improved and dating has gone virtual (thanks to AR & VR), but a legit vaccine is yet to be found. Raj & D.K give their leads (played by Saiyami Kher and Gulshan Devaiah) some thoughtful texture, and the story plays out in a funny-yet-relatable manner and ends with the quintessential 'aww' moment, without plunging into any sort of melodrama.
The Apartment: Directed by Nikkhil Advani, this is the only segment which didn't require a pandemic setting - sexual harassments (in the corporate world), broken marriages, and suicidal tendencies have existed long before the virus outbreak. The depth in plot and characters is certainly lacking, but the performances keep it float. The narrative too is adequately paced and manages to keep viewers engaged throughout, ending on a solid note.
Rat-A-Tat: Tannishtha Chatterjee helms this one, where neighbouring ladies (from two distinct generations) get off on the wrong foot, eventually warming up to each other. Reminding me of the inter-generational warmth spread in few of Putham Pudhu Kaalai's stories, the segment also dives deeper into the notion of women being alone by choice - something that's relatively less explored in Indian cinema. Rinku Rajguru and Lilette Dubey play their parts well enough.
Vishaanu: Cinematographer Avinash Arun Dhaware (known best for Pataal Lok) tells the story of an immigrant labourer's family and their struggles (to get home) and the little joys they indulge in. The immigrant family is now holed up in a sample, unoccupied flat, exploring the luxuries of the rich while wondering how they can relocate back to their village. Conceived and performed in convincing fashion (by Abhishek Banerjee & Geetika Vidya Ohlyan), I found this episode to be the anthology's standout piece.
Chaand Mubarak: A well-off but lone (and ageing) woman strikes a bond with a rickshaw driver during their trips to the supermarkets and medical stores. As expected, the segment begins with a sense of class bias (and dissent between strangers), but the two get to know each other better over their differing interests and backgrounds. The result is a positive evolution for both with the burgeoning realization that living independently or having your family living elsewhere can mean different things to different people. While the plot may seem a tad unrealistic, the performances are earnest.
Overall, Unpaused is worth a watch even if it may not stand the test of time. The pandemic has left its mark on cinema, and Unpaused could well be one of its not-bad outcomes.
If you love short stories, you'll like this one
anirbansarkar-aug1219 December 2020
It's a collection of short, unrelated stories, told in the backdrop of Covid pandemic and its effects. The effect is sometimes on relationships, old and new, and sometimes at a socioeconomic point of view, and in others it is just a backdrop.
Opinions may vary, and but as my title suggests, you'll like it if you like short stories, about characters that make you think after the story has ended.
Opinions may vary, and but as my title suggests, you'll like it if you like short stories, about characters that make you think after the story has ended.
Never Loose Hope
alekhyabanerjee18 December 2020
Unpaused
Anthology Film
This is an anthology film consisting of 5 diffrent short films revolving around the message of Hope based on the scenario of Covid The star cast it self of this Anthology film is a treat to watch which consists of Gulshan Deviah,Sayami Kher, Abhisekh Banerjee ,Richa Chadha,Sumeet Vyaas,Ratna Pathak and many more Well the music department of all the short films are good I personally liked all the songs too much Coming to story and Direction here is a zig zag graph few are good and well executed and some are just average Well i will end this review with the list of the films i liked the most to which i didn't find that great But its to be said that over all its a good one time watch you will not be disappointed infact you will find it realtable to the new daily life and heart warming as the message revolves around not loosing hope in this tough times Well thats it As said here is my priority order 1.Glitch 2.Vishanoo 3.Chaand Mubarak 4.The Apartment 5.Rat-A-Tat
This is an anthology film consisting of 5 diffrent short films revolving around the message of Hope based on the scenario of Covid The star cast it self of this Anthology film is a treat to watch which consists of Gulshan Deviah,Sayami Kher, Abhisekh Banerjee ,Richa Chadha,Sumeet Vyaas,Ratna Pathak and many more Well the music department of all the short films are good I personally liked all the songs too much Coming to story and Direction here is a zig zag graph few are good and well executed and some are just average Well i will end this review with the list of the films i liked the most to which i didn't find that great But its to be said that over all its a good one time watch you will not be disappointed infact you will find it realtable to the new daily life and heart warming as the message revolves around not loosing hope in this tough times Well thats it As said here is my priority order 1.Glitch 2.Vishanoo 3.Chaand Mubarak 4.The Apartment 5.Rat-A-Tat
Refreshing and Clean!
adisandy-7940525 December 2020
Good scripts
adityapngp27 December 2020
So boring and depressing.
knamdeo21 December 2020
Everyone must watch
saurabhvina18 December 2020
Totally waste of time
anirudhagupta0120 December 2020
Worth of best stories
azadsumit-2537518 December 2020
Different life's in single world
gauravdtulaskar23 March 2021
Unpaused(2020)- Review
CouchReview23 December 2020
Unpaused is an anthology film consisting five different segments of different stories.
The first one, Glitch, set in the future where the world has transformed owing to Covid-19 and its variations like Covid-22/Covid-30 (referring to the year of the new virus' inception). It tries to imagine what the world could be like if this dreaded virus stays with us for a long time. It primarily focuses on two young adults trying to kindle their relationship in this new AR/VR world. Ahan (Gulshan Devaiah) is paranoid & fearful or hypo (possibly meaning hypochondriac) as people like him are referred to. On the contrary Alizah (Saiyami Kher) is a brave and bold women. Initially puzzled by how they were matched by the dating app dislike each other, but with time a love story follows. Unlike the old times, religion/family/society type of issues are not hindrances that stop the romantic 'happy ending' for the couple, but new type of challenges that ensue with evolution of a technology & Covid driven world.
The second segment is The Apartment in which Devika (Richa Chadda), who runs a successful magazine, finds herself being lonely in the current locked down world, and is depressed with issues that have come in her personal life due to her husband Sahil (Sumeet Vyas). Devika ready to give up, is continuously troubled by Chirag (Ishwak Singh) her new neighbour from downstairs, or so she was told.
The following segment, Rat-a-tat showcases a grumpy widowed retired singer Archana (Lillete Dubey), who is not liked by many, and Priyanka (Rinku Rajguru) a production assistant struggling in these Covid times. It shows how the two women befriend & help each other out, in an emotional yet entertaining manner.
Vishanu, the fourth segment, portrays the hardships & the brutal truths faced by the not so fortunate section of a society in a developing nation like India. Manish (Abhishek Banerjee) a daily worker, with his family is finding it hard to survive with rare work opportunities and no place to live. He finds a short term fix for his sheltering his family, but with meagre savings to live on wishes to return back to his village, but faces the million dollar question as many people did, how?
The concluding segment Chand Mubarak follows the story of an old spinster Uma's (Ratna Pathak Shah) unconventional bond with auto rickshaw driver Rafique (Shardul Bharadwaj), after she befriends him on a spontaneous trip to the medical store late one night, in the abnormally quiet streets of Mumbai.
The distinctive stories are amazingly well thought of and brilliantly portrayed by the individual directors. What makes it an emotional and heart-warming watch, is the precision with which the brutal and almost accurate realities faced by the people in these hard times. The pace of all stories is excruciatingly slow, which most certainly works in the favour of the film. All actors are casted fittingly and act out their individual parts in an entreating fashion. With very few successful or even very few anthology movies created in India, this is a very bold & unique step, rightly taken by Amazon Prime Video.
The movie has a bigger than usual soundtrack, one would expect from a movie consisting five different stories. Songs may not have been need in some of the scenes, where the soundtrack has been fit into. The order of the segments could have been arranged in a better way, seeing as to the first one is set in the future and the ones preceding it are set in the current period. Omission of this segment altogether could also have worked as it felt too distant with the other four stories.
In conclusion, even with its idiosyncrasies the movie is a spectacular watch. It is relatable to the totally of the population, as each & everyone went through that torrid period. By the end of the film one feels a sense of pride and gratitude, reminiscing how we all got through that period. It is a must-watch for everyone.
Acting- 9
Casting- 9.5
Cinematography- 8.5
Dialogue- 7
Directing- 9
Editing & Effects- 8
Sound & Music- 7.5
Story- 8.5
Storytelling- 10
Rating- 9.5
Wonderful
ayushparasar21 January 2021
A beautiful anthology of short stories each set up in the COVID era but based on different people so their's the contrast between their stories and how the pandemic has hit their life and what are their expectations from the future. Each story has an interesting name.
The music is also very good!
Very much recommended if you're in your home and the pandemic has changed your attitude towards life!
Thought provoking
vipulkshitija18 December 2020
Reality is Harsh and Covid times are harsher
iamkaran2427 December 2020
Showing negativity instead of positivity
Shootingstarindia22 December 2020
Except Glitch first short story rest are avoidable. Basically all leftist directors of bollywood came together to make a movie about lockdown and covid and on name of positivity they tried to make sarcastic fun of curfew, thali bajao, showing roza importance, etc.
Overall forcing thr leftist twitter propaganda in movie scenario.
Beautiful short stories
parul09055 March 2021
Beautiful short stories, except for the first one. The actors kind of dragged the story with unnatural acting and voiceovers. Was about to stop watching, but then the second story started and I continued watching. The last 2 stories had me moved.
Worth Watching
manujnandal18 December 2020
Very well Knitted stories. Only the first out of five stories is beyond imagination and somewhat boring otherwise its a good collection of five different stories based on Lockdown and Covid-19 experiences. I enjoyed it due to its heart touching, simple and realistic type stories.
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