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 ...
Older police chief Tan has just found out that his wife has ran away with an old friend Lai. This brings Tan, in touch with Lai's daughter Sandra, who has just been deported back from UK. Through Sandra's first hand and sometimes second hand recollection we get to learn about the past. Lai was an immigrant who married his wife but also was having an affair with another girl (Tan's now wife). But that affair goes nowhere since Lai is married. In a sudden twist we are told that Lai also had an affair with Tan, but given the strict laws against gays in Malaysia, they both know this relationship will go nowhere and its Tan who ultimately decides that they need to break off and concentrate on their families. And now its Lai who has run away from him. However, Tan feels his relationship with Lai is eternal, and after his abandonment decades before decides to continue to express his love for Lai in his own way.
The story is definitely interesting but we are not old at any point how did the two men meet in their youth and how did the relationship start. Lai, who was always into women to the extent of even having an extra marital affair suddenly is having an affair with Tan. Surely, both men find happiness with each other, but social norms come in their way. But as an audience we are told the story through long lingering shots with lightest of touches of emotions, a reality built on wandering thoughts and subjectivity. The story makes sense but the execution doesn't. Combined this some ongoing murder investigation of some Burmese girl, I feel either I am missing some political context or there are just some parts of the film that just went over my head. All in all the story of this forbidden romance, if executed better, could have been nice. But for a 10-15 minute gay romance and background, this film just takes its own sweet time with a very random unexpected ending. (3/10)
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