Boy meets woman, they go on a highway journey and fall in love. We have watched this movie a number of occasions earlier than. However, Harish Vyas’ Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele has a really completely different twist with it. Mansi, a lesbian, and Veer, a closeted homosexual man, meet at an LGBT get together after operating away from house. Mansi, whose girlfriend has left her alone along with her creepy roommate, decides to stick with Veer as an alternative. They are each virtually strangers, nonetheless, there’s an on the spot connection between them.
After Veer’s secret boyfriend Akshay reveals he can not ever go away his spouse, Mansi decides to take Veer alongside on a highway journey to McLeod Ganj to shock her girlfriend. On the method, Veer opens up about his state of affairs. His father, a retired Army officer, was a disciplinarian, however by no means affectionate in direction of him. This meant that Veer had to preserve his sexuality to himself, till he met Mansi. On the different hand, Mansi talks about her father, who, regardless of being loving, considered her sexuality as a illness.
The duo have a enjoyable highway journey. They do ‘cool’ issues like run away from a dhaba of their dashing automotive with out paying the invoice. However, additionally they acknowledge that their connection is deep. In a platonic candlelight dinner, Veer explains to Mansi that there are two kinds of love, one which additionally contains lust and the different which is unconditional.
Numerous issues occur on this movie that could be a direct results of their sexuality. Despite being in a put up Section 377 world, the society round them refuses to settle for them. However, Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele isn’t just a ‘Queer Pain’ movie. These are the form of movies during which the queer expertise is equated with ache. Films which discuss discrimination confronted by LGBTQ folks, or the trauma they face whereas being closeted, are queer ache movies.
You might ask, Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele options all of that, so why is it not a queer ache movie? That is as a result of the coronary heart of the movie lies in friendship and alliance. A movie based mostly in a spot which is extra accepting of the LGBTQ group, can have a movie the place there isn’t a ache related to the queer expertise. That’s how we get a Schitt’s Creek or Call Me By Your Name. However, in India, the place there’s nonetheless rampant homophobia and transphobia, a movie may have to painting practical themes of queer ache.
Anshuman Jha is a superb actor and his character Veer is extraordinarily relatable. However, it is Zareen Khan’s Mansi that makes the movie so completely different. It is nearly exhilarating to see a girl, not solely personal up her sexuality, but in addition inform everybody fearlessly. She makes use of the phrase lesbian, which in Indian queer movies are hardly ever heard. In a scene, she tells her girlfriend’s father that they’re in love with one another. She even tells her mother and father, via a letter, earlier than operating away from house. This is uncommon, particularly in the Indian context, the place due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many queer individuals who have moved again house are pressured to dwell a lie.
There are loads of cracks in the movie. For starters, it might have been higher fleshed out. Numerous scenes and dialogues in the movie really feel underwhelming. On the different hand, the huge twist in the movie comes somewhat too late, and the movie might have benefitted from slicing down on the track sequences.
However, Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele can be a step in the proper path. It normalises the incontrovertible fact that there are extra to queer folks than their sexuality and gender id. By exhibiting 4 completely different queer characters, the movie makes it somewhat bit simpler to break the stereotypes surrounding completely different ‘types’ of queer folks. The movie may not be an unforgettable one, however it does proper by the group it tries to signify.
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