Kaali Peeli Tales is an upcoming anthology film starring Vinay Pathak, Sharib Hashmi, Hussain Dalal, Priyanshu Painyuli, Sadia Siddiqui, and Tanmay Dhananya alongside Soni Razdan, Gauahar Khan, Sayani Gupta, and Maanvi Gagroo. The six-film anthology series released today and the trio of actresses opened up on their personal Kaali Peeli Tales. The interesting part of this tales are every short story ends in Mumbai Kaali Peeli taxi, acting as a metaphor to each of the story.
Quizzing them on their personal anecdote travelling in Kaali Peeli taxi, Soni Razdan shared, "Once I was going in a Kaali Peeli very late at night and I was very young and was heading for dinner at around 11 or 11:30 in the night. When I got in the cab there was this big red button in the cab and I was worried if or not I should take the cab because I am thinking the red button might be a danger sign. Throughout the journey, nothing happened but then there was suddenly this car that was speeding on the side of the road and the driver was maybe drunk and they were whistling and yelling and passing lewd comments."
She continued, "The taxi driver got so angry and protective that he started yelling at them and asking that don't you have mother-sister at home? He gave them a telling off and I thanked him later and he started saying what kind of times we live in and all. After that a red or a blue light didn't matter, he was such a nice driver and he really looked after me."
Maanvi Gagroo opened up on her Kaali Peeli experience. She said, "I used to stay in Colaba so I have taken a lot of Kaali Peelis. I love chatting with the drivers because some of them have the best stories and especially Kaali Peeli because they have also come here to work a long time back. So they have also seen Bombay change from what it was to what it is and a lot of them were people who came to be actors, singers, lyricists. I just feel there is a lot of potential for stories there that still needs to be tapped."
She added, "Once I forgot my bag, usually people forget a wallet, a phone but I forgot my whole backpack and it was late at night and I was coming back from rehearsals from Andheri and I had my handbag that had my wallet and I left. Then when I recalled I panicked because it was not an Uber or something that I could contact and all. I had lost all hope then my watchman came and he said, you forgot your stuff and this taxi driver had come to return it. The driver didn't know my flat number so he left it with the watchman and I left and went out to look for him but he had left and then I thought this only happens in Mumbai."
Sayani Gupta told, "I feel I travelled less in a Kaali Peeli because didn't have to travel much to the town. Have a lot of auto stories. Losing bags and investigating stuff and visiting chawls to enquire is a story for another day."
Young director Adeeb Rais helms the project and the series captures the essence of love, relationships, and life in Mumbai and cover complex themes from infidelity, open marriage, homosexuality, commitment phobia, divorce to many others. Produced by Madmidaas Films, the star-packed anthology film is all set to debut on Amazon Mini TV and will be accessible via the Amazon shopping app from August 20.
