Love

The red colour font utilised by the writer-director Saurabh Sudhir Doke for the title of the film- Love has a connotation of anger, aggression, and passion indicating that love doesn’t have a set definition and it can vary for different people. Doke with the help of an intricate script and actors like Aniket Jain and Rishabh Sarwate gave life to the director’s vision and instantly build an emotional connection with the audience.

The plot of Love revolves around a reunion that turns into a nightmare as secrets unravel, lives collide and a disastrous future looms. Betrayal and tragedy haunt Nakul and Vikrant leaving them unprepared for the consequences.

The film draws its inspiration from day-to-day life therefore the makers have managed to add realism and relatable factors to the screenplay increasing the degree of audience engagement with the content of Love. The short film takes a form of a book to unfold the storyline as the subplots are slowly revealed creating a comfortable and enjoyable vibe among the audience similar to a reader helping to maintain interest in the narrative of the movie. The black and white colour pallet, dim lighting, music, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props complement the complex nature of the subject matter it deals with.

In terms of Performance, Rishabh Sarwate plays Nakul who is a fun-loving person but he feels burdened by the expectations of his family and friends and wants to find time to discover himself for the sake of his true happiness. Sarwate showcases the range of emotions with the slightest change in terms of the situation as per the script.

Aniket Jain plays the role of Vikrant. He is the best friend of Nakul who loved Rhea (Nakul’s wife) in the past and thus wants to look for a solution to end the suffering of the girl he had feelings for. Vikrant is a multi-layered character and Jain maintains the suspense and lets the viewers be surprised by the climax allowing them to learn a lot of life lessons from the dramatic piece.

Love talks about communication being the basis of a healthy and happy relationship or else things can quickly take an ugly turn with irreparable damages. The short film reiterates love is a choice and he or she cannot be judged or punished for it as long as the person is an adult and fully capable of taking their own decisions. The cinematic piece also talks about the bad influence drinking alcohol, smoking, or doing drugs can have on one’s life in the long term. The creative piece highlights the need to choose friends carefully because one needs trust worthy people who listen to them and take a decision that is favourable for the friend as well as his/her loved ones. Love tells the audience about the importance of emotional stability and being open about everything in a relationship if one doesn’t want it to prove detrimental to the parties involved.

To conclude, I would like to appreciate the makers to be brave to discuss one of the Taboo subjects in Indian society in such a subtle manner.