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 ...
Will is a poet and he lives with his boyfriend Lee who is a musician. They have occasionally worked together and indulge in sexual flirtations but Lee is definitely more involved in relationship than Will is. When Lee realizes that his romantic feelings for Will cannot be fully reciprocated due to Will's sexual confusion, Lee abandons Will and moves back to his rural hometown. A year later, Will, alone, has lost motivation in his work. Lee has seemingly got himself on the right track, and has held out from relapsing on his relationship with Will. One night, Will drunkenly reaches out to Lee, leaving a video message on his phone. Lee responds by inviting him and their mutual friend Jo up to his parent's country home for the weekend. Lee struggles to decipher between his repressed feelings for Will and his hurt feelings, while Will seems preoccupied with drugs and stealing from the beer store he works for. The two navigate through a weekend of fighting, drinking, poetry, music, and reconciliation.
Yes, thats what the film pretty much is. But even this paper thin plot is hard apparently to be presented on the screen. There is no characterization. The story arc is flimsy and very underdeveloped too. You may be able to relate to a few traits of other of the two protagonists, but only if that was enough. While relatability is an important quality, perhaps stronger writing and more developed characters would have aided the film’s deeper narrative themes. The film keeps jumping back and forth and also some supporting characters keep showing up, who really add no value to the overall setting. Even the lead actors do not have the charm and charisma to hold audience's attention. Both these actors are also co writer-director of the film, so one can see how internalized this project was. We have seen films about conflicting gay relationships before but it would take much sharper writing to keep us interested in yet another variation on the theme. (2/10)
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