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 ...
Brothers Francesco and Nicola haven't seen each other for 40 years, ever since Francesco came out gay by declaring it in the school. Since he was a teacher at the time, he decided to spare his family the disgrace he had caused by declaring publicly his sexual orientation. When their mother dies, Francesco visits her but at the burials notary appears with the mother's last wish: to be buried next to her husband in her hometown by both her sons. After some bickering, the duo agree on the road trip where they will need to work on their issues. During this journey, Nicola finally gets to hear what was the real reason of Francesco outing himself publicly. The brothers are starting to communicate now. We also get to know that Francesco has a daughter and grandson, about whom he recently found out. When he decides to commit suicide in which Nicola saves him, we find that he is dealing with a liver disease and his days are numbered. This is when Nicola decides to donate this kidney fo this ailing brother to help him live more. The two brothers are finally where they belong with each other.
The story, even though simple is shared by two very strong performances. Francesco as the aging gay man with many many secrets and Nicola, the heteronormative man who doesn't understand or care about anything but so called "normal". At heart, there is positive message because we get to know the terrible shame Nicola suffered when the small minded town rejected his brother for being different. The prejudice of the time made it worst than it really needed to be. You hear both the viewpoints and you wonder why didn't they talk when such issues could have been amicably reconciled. The third character who gets most scenes are the driver (wannabe musician) who is driving the mother's body with them, and how some interaction between him and Nicola help Nicola realize how he can be a better person. Sometimes we make our opinion based on perceptions without understanding the reality behind people, and this film tries to address this flaw amongst as very beautifully. Like they say 'don't judge a book by its cover'. The two actors share some amazing chemistry and the film is elevated by some really good dialogues and emotions. I loved the ending when Nicola teases his daughter's in-laws about himself. The man has finally turned around and want to do everything right for his estranged brother. Laced with some beautiful Italy landscapes, this is a very nice feel-good movie that warms your heart and brings a smile to your face. (6.5/10)
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