3 storeys is a movie set in Mumbai's ubiquitous chawl system . A chawl is a building that has two room dwellings that open out into a common balcony that spans the entire front of the floor . Mostly lower middle class people stay there and chawls are a hotchpotch of people from different communities staying together . The movie shows 3 stories of 3 families staying on three storeys of the chawl .
The first story is that of Flory Mendonca , a woman who has lost her son and husband long ago and wants to sell her dwelling in the chawl . But she wants to sell at four times the actual value of the dwelling , and hence gets no buyer . But one day a young man ( played by Pulkit Samrat ) comes to buy it and gets ready to buy at the excessive high price . After the deal he asks about her son and his father and learns about how they died . But as the conversation proceeds we are in for a real shock . It's best not to reveal what lies in store for the viewer , but the shock gave a real punch in the face .
The second story is of Varsha Atre ( Masumeh Makhija ) , who is a marathi lady having an alcoholic husband who beats her though he behaves well with their son . One day she makes friends with a newly arrived lady who invites her to her home in the chawl . But as the newly arrived lady tells her about her husband ( played by Sharman Joshi ) , old memories tumble out and Varsha finds herself confronted by her past....
The third story is about love between a young muslim boy and hindu girl . But as they elope due to the opposition of their parents , they are confronted by a cruel truth about their past that shatters their love story apart....
While this is going on , the attention of all men in the chawl is on the attention seeker of the chawl ( played by Richa Chaddha ) who struts about in backless blouses and with belly chain strapped around her belly having dalliances with men . She is the one who is narrating us all these stories , but when the truth about her is revealed by her we have sympathy for her .
As old secrets tumble out and persons are forced to come face to face with past mistakes , we realise that every building has stories to tell . Of love , of longing , of bad things happening and good tidings coming . It is important that we are listening to a good story teller who makes the stories of ordinary human beings spicier than reality . And in this movie , we are listening to a good story teller .
Background music is good and songs are better . Photography is decent and colours are okay . Acting is decent by everyone . But the movie is for those who like off beat movies and not who like run of the mill entertainers .
Verdict---decent .
Three stars out of five .
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