WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
What are those elements of life that seemingly transcend time? Suffice it to say, if these things truly do exist, they appear to be few and far between, or at minimum, deceptively elusive to hold onto or even gain possession of. One of the rarities amongst them–love. Yes, but REAL love. That which ABIDES within our very BEING with a fervor that cannot be quenched, even when all around us would try and dictate otherwise. When (or if) we’ve had the blessing of sharing in such keenly impacting connection, CAN it actually endure when sudden, painful separation occurs? For two young Punjabi women, Satwant (Anjali Khurana) and Jasminder (Someya Bagai) it will be this kind of trial by fire that will test them and the taboo they take part in. But, now in later years, will an unexpected catalyst become the doorway to rekindling that which was lost?
Next, my Mind:
There are pivotal moments in history that redefine not just us as people, but sometimes an entire industry as well. In my years as a critic, which beginning at the end of 2015 found me introduced to South Asian cinema via my first ever Bollywood effort (the utterly EPIC masterpiece (at least for me) that is “Bajirao Mastani“), the further immersion into that region of the world’s films, both mainstream and then independent, showed me one facet of their work that was evident, honestly standing out given my American-based perspective–they seemed to mostly avoid LGBTQ+ subjects, given the total outrage at that community’s lifestyle the country maintained, whether you might have felt for good or ill. Then came India’s Supreme Court’s landmark 2018 decision that nullified the criminality of Section 377’s rulings on said relationships and suddenly, a whole new era was born, with the face of filmmaking changing extensively because of it, ushering in an exponentially growing freedom of expression for LGBTQ+ projects.
I have never made it a secret, if you’ve read many past reviews, that stories focused on this particular topic are not a preferred favorite of mine. Yet, South Asian film brought a WHOLE new approach to it all (see such visionary shorts like “Sisak” or “Sheer Qorma“, much less feature length such as “Khejdi“, or ok even a recent, non-South Asian short film wonder that was the Oscar qualifying “North Star“) that made my eyes open to what makes indie film especially such a magnificent (and HIGHLY unheralded still!) beast–ARTISTRY over AGENDA. Once more, it is unequivocally the FORMER of that pairing that makes itself known through this new 4-minute, musically and imagery-driven short film from writer/director/producer Sundeep Morrison, producers Bhavani Rao and Mohammad Shah, executive producer Tarun Nayar, and associate producer Deepa Patel. This is a shining example of the medium of film being utilized to do what it (SHOULD) do best–tell a story, draw on our emotions, and demonstrate a necessary relatability.
Thanks to entrepreneur/PR/promotor guru Jitin Hingorani and his company Jingo Media‘s discovery of the effort, which is about to have an upcoming screening July 21st at the 2023 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+Festival (www.outfestla.org), we as the viewer are entreated to what amounts to a music video, uncomplicated in its grander execution, but so beautifully full of raw, evocative, tangibly grounded humanity and candid emotional potency while illustrating the equally fervent intensity of genuine love between two women that gets unceremoniously upended then rediscovered through an unanticipated benefactor. It reminds us immediately that when done correctly, the undeniably stirring combination of effectively no dialogue but rather images and music (in this case, a re-mixed version of an iconic Punjabi folk song, Noor Jahan’s “Ik Tera Pyaar” here masterfully done by Khanvict) can carry a compelling weight that drives home the film’s themes, doing so in a manner that isn’t remotely, and most importantly for me, agenda laden.
Rather, we’re being shown such the painfully rare, even absent, facet of SINCERE love and its ability to conquer time, burning with a ferocity that consumes all judgmental, bigoted, angry, hateful, misguided, non-understanding attitudes, turning them to ash, and finding its way back to fruition and fulfillment that, regardless of what orientation you choose or your personal opinions OF the LGBTQ+ community, is FULLY credible and APPLICABLE to ALL people. Period. This critic tends to state this a lot in similar fashion for reviews covering this thematic exploration because it BEARS repeating. Have we NOT had ENOUGH malice and prejudice thrown around to NOT see just HOW imperative it is we at LEAST find the means to communicate, even disagree, in a way that fosters better unity and basic reconnection AS human beings?? This film assuredly addresses all of this, even if primarily via conjecture or hints of conflict, but it doesn’t LESSEN the messages being conveyed. The narrative is clear here, with the finale so touching and inspired.
Acting is an art form, and for me, nothing showcases this more than when said thespians must utilize tools beyond the relative “safety” of dialogue to elicit reaction, make a statement, and draw us into the narrative. Here, this is masterfully, and intentionally understatedly, accomplished by the entire cast, with underlying music as the foundational tapestry for them to perform through. Khurana and Bagai have such perfect chemistry which ebbs and flows with the song we hear as they interact to create the sheer beauty of an all-encompassing, endearing, ENDURING love between Satwant and Jasminder, two young women finding each other amidst a still-hostile world that shuns their partnership. Choosing to fight for what they have, circumstances arise that force them to separate, suddenly worlds apart, sharing fleeting moments before it all ends. The actresses performances, individually and together, engenders both warmth and heartbreak to such undeniably palpable magnitudes that WILL pull on your emotions deeply and impactfully.
Mona Sishodia and Sunita Mukhi, while having less overall screen time than their younger counterparts, still make a magically indelible mark as the older Satwant and Jasminder whose lives and undying adoration for each other get a wonderfully orchestrated reunion that is just as emotively powerful as what we’ve witnessed from their character’s former selves, with that tangible sense of depth in their connection standing out charmingly, and like Khurana and Bagai, all achieved through body language and facial expression to demonstrate what is occurring between them. Ruchika Gupta appears as the granddaughter of Satwant in her older years who becomes a huge key to events that take place in the story, and I found how the actress chooses to depict the degree of joy at how things turn out that the character feels to be so affecting, again just by the expressiveness and credibility of Gupta’s performance.
Additional appearances are made by Ramy El-Etreby and Tanzila Ahmed as one of the girl’s highly disconcerted parents who more than disapprove of their daughter’s choice of companionship, Ravi Ranawaka as a groom who doesn’t truly realize the lack of love involved in the marriage he’s entering, along with Bhavani Rao, Mohammad Shah, Monica Asnani, Ollie Addabo, Michael Addabo, and Vanessa Bivens. So, in total, “Your Love” soars above its baseline themes and poignantly emphasizes the notions of love being ALL that’s needed, the unadulterated desire to never part from one another, but tempered with the ongoing trials of relationships still under such harsh scrutiny striving to survive. I continue to point out that in such a stormy, angry, volatile world as we currently live in, unfeigned compassion and love IS what we need, and that’s no cliché or trite statement to make. Until we rediscover this between us, regardless of what levels or types of relationships we’re referring to, how can we expect the necessary changes in atmosphere to manifest? Put aside hate, EMBRACE authentic devotion, and MAYBE we might just see BEYOND our preconceptions and into the core of what it IS to be human again.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
