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 ...
16 year old Otto has massive imagination and he always dreams of how a particular situation could play out. On his birthday he decides to come out to his family. His sister is very supportive and unexpectedly so is his father , but his mother needs some time. He goes to school and wonders if he should tell his best friend Max as well. These two awkward kids get bullied at school all the time, and even though Otto has a crush on Max, he cannot come to tell him in fear of losing friendship. When the bullying gets too much, one day Otto stands up to the guy and the matter goes to the principal. This is when Otto comes out to the school and Max is shocked to hear this. In a very charged scene, Otto's dad goes to principal office and demands suspension of the bully. (Even though comically done, I actually thought that scene was very well done). Max says he is happy for Otto but that he is not gay and that they can still be friends. When everyone including Otto's family assumes Max is Otto's boyfriend, they end up embarrassing Max who runs away. Eventually in the end he confesses to Otto that he is gay too and has always secretly like Otto.
Storywise the film may seem simple, but the treatment and execution is what it sets apart. Almost the entire tone is light and comical, with situations when Otto dreams on how they could play out, bring out the laughters. Otto breaks the fourth wall quite a few times to directly talk to the audience and most of the scenes make so much sense. It's this dilemma of what one may think and how reality actually plays out. Like how he imagines he will standup to the bully v/s what really happens. Or when he imagines how his parents may talk about his sexuality to their colleagues and what really happens. As I mentioned above, this film is supposed to be a feel good film to remind folks that with a supportive family environment, coming out doesn't have to be a bog deal at all. The way Otto's sister is supportive and the pop-inspired granny, they were all pretty cool. All the actors did a fantastic job, and I believe that the film was made after a stage play where likely most actors played the same role and the film is made by the same team, which is wonderful, in my opinion. So, don't expect anything part shattering here. A simple story, using some innovative ways of telling a story, this is a feel good film. (6/10)
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