Being true to yourself and abiding by the “rules” of society has been an issue tormenting individuals since time immemorable, with cinema, expectedly, basing a number of stories on the concept. Sourabh Doke attempts his own film on the subject, through a stage-play approach that is actually split in four acts.
“Love” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Nakul, a 32-year-old married man living in New Zealand, returns home to India after three years. He invites his best friend Vikrant because both of them have been away for a long time, and Nakul wants to share something about his life. The two of them seem very happy to see each other, but some small comments here and there highlight some pre-existing tension. This tension comes to the fore when the two start drinking, and their past, as much as their present, comes to the fore.
Through an approach that becomes more and more dramatic with each act, Sourabh Doke shows how the pressure people feel from society, particularly in such a conservative country as in India, can break them, with the story that unfolds through the 29 minutes of the film, becoming more and more tragic as more revelations come to the fore. The ending on the other hand, does emerge as quite melodramatic, particularly the phone call part.
The story is interesting, as much as the comment, but in terms of production values, there are a number of issues, also deriving from the fact that this is, evidently, a no-budget production. As the whole thing is essentially shot within a small apartment, in order to give a sense of movement, Doke included some flashback footage, which are not convincing at all though, and he split the film in chapters, which do not serve any particular purpose though, as they are essentially just regular cuts. An exception to that is the last one, which is actually the most memorable scene in the movie, also highlighting Aniket Jain's acting in the role of Vikrant. Also of note is the particular one and the frame featuring in the image in this article, which showcase the potential of Vishal Gaikwad's cinematography. Apart from these, however, the whole thing looks more like a TV-episode than an actual film, at least in technical terms.
“Love” shows that Sourabh Doke has some interesting ideas in terms of context, but he will need to improve his cinematic skills and find a bigger budget if he is to move forward
