This is a complicated story with numerous sub-plots that seem rather overwhelming. Onir’s expertise at handling the darkest subjects with sensitivity and the actors’ impressive performances ensure you have a sinfully extravagant film at hand.

But what makes this film more than just a sensational piece of cinema is its reflection into relationships. Four stories get intertwined as the characters keep crossing paths. While the narrative isn’t always crystal clear, the emotions are strong and the story of Shab is its strength.

Doing away with the shallowness of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 characters, Onir gives us a film that’s powerful and delectable.A smouldering  simmering sensuous tale of betrayal and redemption, Onir  stages a  fragile, brutal and beguiling exploration of relationships in the overheated metropolitanism of Delhi.

The film is erratic in engaging and evoking empathy. Some parts are endearing, and a lot of it might seem extra. It has an interesting premise and innovative structure, and the music prevails through its jump cuts, creating a sense of unison, but the film drags at a slow pace.

Shab tries its best to avoid clichés and comes across as a thought provoking film that offers a refreshing take on human relationships in the modern world that’s driven by opportunism and hypocrisy. However, Shab is far from being a seamless film in that it unravels like a puzzle and may therefore end up puzzling the average viewer looking for a straightforward story of love and heartbreak. Yes, there is plenty of that in Shab but Onir like any intelligent filmmaker hates to spoon-feed his audience. The only way to enjoy the film is to lend yourself completely to its ebbs and flows or else you are better off skipping it altogether.