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 ...
Simon is a bored English teacher who teaches uninterested teenage students by day, and becomes Tracie, a transvestite, by night. But trawling bars in Manchester dressed up to the nines, tottering on stilettos and ready to pull has not produced a lasting or truly fulfilling relationship. On one particular night out, Tracie gets into an altercation with some men out on a stag night. Tony comes to Tracie's aid and offers her a ride home, culminating in the pair having sex at Tracie's home. The pair strike up a casual relationship, with Tony confessing that his wife has died and he is a widower. They are totally smitten and their love affair begin. It is revealed, however, that Tony's wife is still alive when Simon walks past Tony in town and follows him. Simon tracks down Tony's wife's place of work and receives a makeover from her. When Tracie confronts Tony, he cries and begs and agrees to tell his wife but in the meantime his wife finds out about Tony's affair. In a brutal attack, Tony kills his wife because "he couldn't hurt her by leaving". He tells Tracie that he has left hi wife and asks Tracie to travel with him to the lake with Tracie unaware of his wife's body in the car. Tracie runs away, with Tony in pursuit, but Tony can't bring himself to kill her. Tracie is charged with murder but is found not guilty, and Tony is imprisoned for murder.
Actor playing Simon/Tracie was brilliant. It is never easy for akan to play drag or dress up like woman and still do justice to the role. His portrayal of Tracie's rejection, abuse, defiance and hope was spot on. Not to mention how week Tony's character compliments Tracie's. The actor does a fantastic job in a tricky role of a lover but also a psycho maybe. At a short length of just about an hour, it is perfect length and captivating story that won't leave your attention. This episode also shows 'alternative lifestyles' is sort of brushed to the sidelines in society, and often gets washed up in a sea of ignorance and preconceptions.
Both unexpected and surprising, this was an interesting watch. (6/10)
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