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 ...
Martin, an again man, has just buried Jan, his husband of many years and love and backbone of his life. He is now struggling financially to keep up with mortgage of the house they both lovingly built. One day, a friend dog his tells him how he has fallen in love with a Congolese woman but because of legal reasons cannot support her to make her legal in Belgium. He pleads Martin to marry her in return for money. Martin agrees and enter Tamara. Martin and Tamara, who have virtually nothing in common, will enter into a marriage of convenience and will have to live together, much to their chagrin. Martin’s house becomes the theatre of a minor battle for territory, where each party simultaneously tries to retain some privacy and lay bare their own vision of the couple. Enter Philippe, who Tamara fools as her brother but in reality is her lover. The rest of the film is about whether or not and how they can work our their differences enough to actually become husband and wife, knowing very well that there is actual lover/husband of Tamara in the picture.
The main plot about the possibility of a connection between two very different people is fascinating. Both protagonists are great actors, and they make you believe that they could be the people depicted in the film. The film is an interesting mix of drama and comedy, which goes out on a limb and laughs at something that is often not funny in the slightest. It’s a comedy that chooses to believe that we all get a second chance. The movie had weak subplots about the person who supplies the money to Martin, and about the detectives whose job it is to spot phony weddings. Philippe's entry into the mix makes the proceedings interesting. The personas are real. Tamara or her lover are not there to unnecessarily take advantage of Martin's situation (which is what may feel like initially), but eventually it is about love and humanitarian grounds, which is made clear when Martin's friend demands his money back after finding out about Tamara's husband. But Martin makes him see, how these young people have a full life ahead of them and they should just leave them be. The actors do a great job, especially Martin, playing the role of a grieving and aging gay man trying to survive and give his life some meaning. The ending is sad but the touching story and relatable and credible characters make it a decent watch. As I said, the film is not about anyone'e sexuality but a story about two polar opposite individuals navigating life. (5/10)
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