This Hindi movie is a pretty straightforward slice-of-life story that tries to give a modern look at what it's like to be a single, professional gay man. It dives into how he understands who he is, the chances he missed out on, and the personal choices he’s made along the way. The director used three parallel timelines to tell the story, which honestly didn't make much sense to me. While the core idea was actually pretty interesting, I really feel like this would have worked way better as a short film considering the point it was trying to make. Still, it wasn't a bad watch. The plot centers on Rachit, a city professional, and his friend Shikhar as they hang out for an evening. Rachit is a polished, urban guy, while Shikhar has more of a "small-town" rustic vibe, and you can really see the contrast between them when they talk. As the night goes on, Rachit starts thinking back to some old memories from a long time ago. He remembers being an intern after college in ...
Vincent is a high school kid who is also the school swimming champion. His best friend is Stephane and Noemie forms the third in this close group. Noemie loves Vincent but he never gives another thought. Stephane thinks of Vincent as his brother and they have been childhood friends. A chance meeting with a new kid in school, changes life of Vincent. There is apparent attraction between the two. Vincent knows he is gay but has always hide his feelings. But meeting this guy, spills the bean in public and somehow the news is leaked in the school. This is where the problems begin. Suddenly the hero of the school is not a hero anymore. He is bullied and unwelcome in school. And now we see how Vincent deals with all this. His strongest supported is his best friend Stephane, who is sad that Vincent didn't tell him but he doesn't change. Noemie is initially upset and hurt because she truly loved him. Vincent's brother has always disliked him and he tells the news to their parents too. Too shocked to react to anything, eventually they come around too. Thanks to his swimming coach and their literature teacher, Vincent gets back his life in order, learns to deal with obstacles and eventually comes out winner in the end.
It was very heartening to see how Vincent's best friend stood by him throughout. I wonder in real life, how many people would be lucky to have such a friend in their life. I am also very glad that they didn't really show that Noemie ending up becoming Vincent's fag hag. She truly loved him and she is not going to settle for anything less. If it means losing Vincent, so be it. I also liked how parents reactions were handled. From confusion to acceptance and love and finally open conversation, they sure came a long way. When Vincent goes to Marais to meet his old trick, it is shown that he is not very comfortable and runs way from there. I wasn't very sure on what that whole scene meant! Was he questioning his identity or his future? Also it really wasn't clear why the parents preferred Vincent over his elder brother. From an acting perspective, everyone did a marvelous job. As the main protagonist, Vincent brings to life his character, his pain, his struggles, his anguish. This performance was definitely very nice. Although I wish some of the expressions on his face changed a little bit.
A very good film but it does have its shares of flaws. Nonetheless, it is very good and highly recommended. (7/10)
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