The Couple is a realistic take on how young couples are dealing with the pandemic, says Priyanshu Painyuli

Amazon Prime Video’s latest Hindi anthology Unpaused: Naya Safar (2022) is a follow-up to Unpaused (2020), which featured shorts directed by Raj & DK, Nikkhil Advani, Avinash Arun, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Nitya Mehra.

Unpaused: Naya Safar review – More affecting tales of loss, family and hope from the pandemic

Both anthologies revolve around the pandemic, but the latter feels more relatable. Nupur Asthana’s The Couple features Priyanshu Painyuli and Shreya Dhanwanthary as two savvy working-from-home professionals who face a setback in life and their relationship when one of them is fired in the midst of the pandemic.

The artistes spoke a bit about why the episode might strike a chord with many during this time.

Painyuli, who plays Dippy, one half of the married working professional duo, said, “Our film The Couple is a realistic take on how young, millennial couples are dealing with the pandemic and the work-from-home culture. It was a pleasant experience working with Shreya Dhanwanthary, my co-star, and Nupur Asthana, our director. All of us have given our best to make a heart-warming film that will strike the right chords with the audience across 240 countries and territories.”

Dhanwanthary, who won acclaim for her role as journalist Sucheta Dalal in Scam 1992 (2020), said, “I have been associated with Amazon Prime Video since I worked in the original series Mumbai Diaries 26/11 (2021), so with Unpaused: Naya Safar, it's like a homecoming for me. I am delighted and excited to be a part of The Couple that focuses on a modern-day couple and how their lives change when there is a sudden job loss. Not just our film, but I am sure all films in the anthology will leave you with a warm-fuzzy feeling and make you cherish the smallest joys of life."

Unpaused: Naya Safar also features the shorts Gond Ke Laddu by Shikha Makan, Teen Tigada by Ruchir Arun, War Room by Ayappa KM, and Vaikunth by Nagraj Manjule. The anthology series was premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 21 January.