My Melbourne

Unlike any mainstream Bollywood film, My Melbourne is an anthology consisting of four unique stories, directed by renowned Bollywood filmmakers - Onir, Kabir Khan, Rima Das, and Imtiaz Ali. These collective stories explore themes of identity, diversity, resilience that are set against the multicultural and dynamic backdrop of Melbourne, Australia.

Each of the four stories are universally relatable and they seamlessly transition into other through unique narratives. Two segments particularly stand out throughout this film and that are the stories, the first being that of Jules that is directed by Imtiaz Ali and Setara's struggle for her identity, that is by Kabir Khan.

The first story directed by Onir and titled as Nandini is about an emotional reunion of Indraneel (Arka Das), a queer Indian man, and his estranged father, Mihir (Mouli Ganguly). It takes time to establish the characters and may seem slow in narration. It conveys grief and forgiveness, and the segment at the banks of a stream is the highlight with it's poetic cinematography.

Then is the story by Imtiaz Ali - Jules that is about a food blogger Sakshi (Arushi Sharma) that delves into a sense of displacement of this newly wed girl who is taken for granted by her husband. Sakshi often comes across embittered Jules, a homeless woman in Melbourne and those are striking moments of one dreamy eyed girl who has left her parents in India to marry an Aussie Indian only to face humiliation, while the local woman Jules too, leads a life of being rejected by the society. Sakshi finally gathers courage to set out on her own and so she does.

Third is the life of Emma, directed by Rima Das. The talented young ballet dancer Emma (Ryanna Skye Lawson) suffers from Usher's Syndrome. She is just passionate about dancing and is supported by her mother who understands the troubles of her daughter gradually affecting her hearing.

Kabir Khan's segment Setara addresses racial identity and the struggles of belonging in a multicultural world. Setara Amiri who plays herself, is a 15-year-old Afghan refugee who relocates to Melbourne with her mother and sister after fleeing the Taliban. While her mother was a Supreme Court judge in Afghanistan, she has drawn herself into a shell and isn't happy with her school going daughter taking interest in cricket, for which this girl had won medals while in Afghanistan. This segment is similar to Bollywood style stories of inspiration and Kabir Khan has taken the opportunity to give the segment a thrilling finish.

My Melbourne, the film presents diverse voices and experiences while remaining cohesive. Without doubt, each character is simply realistic and the filmmakers have enriched storytelling blending Melbourne's vibrant cultural landscapes and urban charm without giving the feeling of boosting it's tourism. Just simple story telling, realistic homes, schools and it conveys a sense of resilience with celebration of humanity's shared spirit and the beauty of embracing our differences.

Sounds repetitive, My Melbourne isn't like any mainstream commercial cinema. It is a collection of realistic and fresh stories and embracing differences.

• Review by Paresh B Mehta (Editor of Filmytown web portal)