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Evening Shadows (Hindi)

It is positively surprising to see more and more LGBTQ+ stories coming out of the Indian subcontinent, something which is the most relatable for me. More than an actual gay love story, it's more about family. What happens to a conservative tradition-bound Hindu family when the son comes out as gay? More so, it is the story of the mother and son and how their relationship evolves over the time. Even more, how the mother is able to come out of the shadows of her husband.

Kartik is the only son of a very conservative Hindu family. He is coming home after four years of living in Mumbai as a photographer for some religious ceremony and holiday. The reason for the long break is because he and his father don't see eye to eye on career decisions. To his surprise, the parents are trying to get him to see girls for a marriage proposal but he very sternly refuses. The mother loves the son to death and asks her husband to chill. Soon, we are told that Kartik has been a monogamous loving relationship with his boyfriend of many years and they have a very happy and stable family together. The mother tries to find the truth about not wanting to get married. Eventually, when Kartik comes out on a day trip with his mother, as expected, her reactions are a mix of shock, surprise, hurt, worried etc. The duo don't speak for a couple of days, while Kartik is trying his best to explain her mother the situation. Slowly over the course of next few days, the mother has all sorts of questions ranging from how it works, will he change, should they go see a doctor, what about kids, did they fail as parents etc. All this while, Kartik's boyfriend tries his best to support him over the phone. The mother has still not come to terms but at least she is trying. Things go south, when one day the father sees pictures of Kartik with his boyfriend. He beats the boy really bad and throws him out of the house. The father is so mad that he decides to do the ceremonial death ceremony of his son and this is when the mother loses her control and finally confronts her husband, who all these years has been dominating her. She gives him a piece of her mind, and tell shim that no one but her son has the right to decide and live his life. Kartik, finally gets the love and acceptance from his mother for being gay, something that he has been craving for.

This films narrative is brave but slightly flawed, the details of some of which I will try and explain. I like the fact that the gay men were not made to act effeminate, although, giving the son an emotional side, loves to clean and cook and is hence different, still puts him in a certain box. The whole scene of coming out to his mother and eventual scenes of his mother trying to find the reasons, possible solutions and eventual questions was something so relatable to me. I would say almost 70-80% of that is what exactly happened with me when I came out, so some of those scenes were very personal and hit very close to home on how some Indian conservative parents would react. The whole angle to an abusive uncle (although Kartik doesn't believe he was abused. He says it was consensual) was not necessary in my opinion. It again fuels fire to the theory of abused children end up being gay. Also some of the dialogues were very chaste Hindi, and not something that are normally used in everyday talking. The main confrontation scene is the end between the mother and the father is the most powerful scene, in not just the film but something I haven't seen much of. Mona Ambegaonkar, a very underused actress, owns that scene like a pro and kills that. That scene is bound to give you chills. It's like a fierce lioness who will go to any lengths to make sure her cub is safe and sound. Amazing! Chemistry between the lovers is ok since most of their scenes are on telephone. Kartik acts really well as the son who is scared of what will happen when he comes out and more importantly what repercussions will that have on his mother. The father is a bit over the top but bearable. The film also slightly explores the problem of Indian parents always wanting a more stable conservative jobs for the children rather than them following their own dreams. The rustic village location of the film is so beautiful and now I really want to visit those places. The director does a good job of understanding traditional Indian family dynamics. There is a good scope to improve, but as long as you watch it in the context of culture, you may be able to relate to the film, otherwise not.

India is yet to give a beautiful gay love story but every films still that comes out focussing on any LGBTQ+ issue is a step further in the conservative film makers and the audience both. It can be an important film to watch for families of individuals who are struggling to come out of the closet in the conservative Indian culture and be used as a means to give more perspective. (6.5/10)

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