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 ...
A troubled teenage Noel comes to live with his aunt. Only much later towards the end we find out that he was beaten and kicked out of hime for being gay, which eventually led to their parents separation as well. His two cousins Carol and Leo are very welcoming and friendly and soon he starts to feel at home. Leo's best friend is Fred and they have been friends since kids and is considered part of the family. When Noel and Fred meet, they feel a spark but obviously neither of them is going to do anything about it. Also Noel finds out that Carol has a crush on Fred too. Thankfully, Fred, as gently as he can, explains that while he loves her, he only loves her as a sister. Slowly the attraction between Fred and Noel starts to grow stringer and they both fall head over heels in love with each other. Noel already has history of abusive father, and Fred doesn't know if he will be able to come out with his strict parents as well. We see how their love grows, how the family and cousins find out and are extremely supportive. There is a bit of drama with Noel's father coming back in picture and wanting him back, but together they all fight back. It's time that Noel and Fred will create their own Paris in their city.
The best thing Is liked about this series was family. This is a beautiful family that was able to overcome a lot of emotional baggage and pain. And when needed, encouraged each other to be themselves, as a family should. This is a ‘feel-good’ series that makes sense. After the initial shock of the relationship between Noel and Fred, all three embrace Noel and Fred’s as being gay with complete acceptance and their relation is accepted as valid and normal as any other relationship. Having said that, it still needs to go a long way before it feels like a polished show. It is still pretty rough and amateurish at multiple places. Thankfully the show never gets overdramatic at any point and keeps it very relatable. The acting by everyone is strictly ok. Again, we have to remember that this is probably done by a very small production company with a limited budget. Noel and Fred make a great couple. They are both handsome (Fred is slightly more). They fall in love, make no apologies for that, and are not hesitant in wanting to display to each other their affection for one another. The way their love slowly develops is handled really well. I liked how Leo respects the boundaries of both his best friend and cousin when he sees them kissing, but is also extremely supportive at the same time. Similarly for Carol and the aunt to be there for young love was very reassuring. As a story, this was quite good, but the makers would still need a bit of time and experience to hone their skills and make a world class product. This series as is, was a pretty good attempt and I salute them for it. (5.5/10)
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