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 ...
The film follows journey of Laurence over a period of 10 years. Laurence Alia, a man, has been in a steady relationship with his girlfriend Fred for many years. A time when Laurence realizes that he is in a wrong body, he immediately tells Fred about it who is clearly hurt. But soon she realizes that she loves Laurence for the person he is and willing it to give it a try. She becomes the support system for Laurence while he deals with all the regular struggles that come with the transition. They both soon lose their jobs but there is passion and love that binds them together. Time moves and Fred has had enough and she leaves Laurence for another man and builds a family. This doesn't mean that Laurence stops looking for her and in fact clearly him and her are central characters to the book he writes. They briefly get together and in fact Fred even contemplates of re-starting their life together but meeting another couple with a similar situation makes Fred realize that she cant do this. The film ends with Laurence getting interviewed by the publisher of the book and her gradual journey and growth to a more determined and confident person.
The film is almost 3 hours long , so as an audience you need to have patience. I agreed it is almost like watching life events in 10 year span of a couple, but there were so many scenes that I could have easily got rid off. The length is a big negative of the film. But there are enough positives too. The film questions whether we love a gender or a person. Various people will have different answers but at least the film asks this question. Fred is willing to try while Laurence is transitioning but she misses the "man" that Laurence was for him once. The film thankfully was not over dramatic when it came to scenes and situations and reactions pertaining to Laurence's transition. People around have mixed reactions and it takes more than just courage to face the world and be yourself. The film's biggest strength is dealing with a taboo as if it wasn't. And of course a fantastic performance by the lead actors. Both of them do a fantastic job.
This film is beyond just the big T discussion. Its about relationships and love but the length of the film stops you to an extent to invest fully in the film. (6/10)
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