In 2010, Dibakar Banerjee’s experimental film, Love Sex Aur Dhokha, was promoted as India’s Premiere Digital Film. It was a refreshing viewing experience then because of how unusually the film was shot. It’s been fourteen years since then, and content across the globe has seen massive developments in every capacity. Does differently captured film become exciting in 2024, especially after films like Searching and C U Soon that redefined visual language for conventional motion pictures? Irrespective of one’s opinion on this question, if the film is made by Dibakar Banerjee, excitement is guaranteed.
The first thing in the filmmaker’s latest Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 that captured my attention was how the film was shot. I was amazed to see him retaining that more than a decade-old style of capturing the film, probably to justify the franchise approach, but how effective he makes it look and feel even today surprised me to a whole new level. I don’t think the camera work/angles were regular throughout the film. As per the story, the visuals were meant to look like those seen in reality shows and the virtual world (online meetings, vlogging, etc). In an era that mostly lives in a digital landscape, this approach of Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 works wonderfully. It resonates strongly with the audience, the sense of belonging kicks in sooner than expected, and Dibakar Banerjee’s filmmaking style and vision keep the familiarity of it all at bay. Everything we see may not look novel in any manner, even for a movie now, but the filmmaker convinces us that this was the best way to do it.
Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 tells us three stories. They are connected through characters or subplots. One story is about a transperson (by choice), a participant in a reality show, and their complicated/troubled bond with their mother – a sentiment used by the show’s creative team to make the show more popular. Another story is about the plight/experience of a transperson working in the public service sector and the saddening effects of corporate/legal policies on their lives. The other story is about a teenager who has drowned himself in the frivolous virtual/digital world whose sexual orientation is questioned amidst the troll and meme culture.
We may be very familiar with all the three stories we see in Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2. What makes them different to hear is how they are told. While watching, nowhere did I sense any datedness in them. It’s only after thinking about them, is when, I realised how basic all these stories are. It’s Dibakar Banerjee’s craft that doesn’t just give us a fulfilling and satisfying viewing experience, but he also tells us how to make some of the simplest stories in a way that will make them look special. Despite being simple, they aren’t shallow in any manner. The emotional connection with the characters and the situation they are in is strong, irrespective of whether we have experienced them or not.
One thing that stood out for me in the writing and execution of Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 was the portrayal of the LGBTQ community, which wasn’t just very different from what we have seen in the movies till now but also unfiltered in some manner – the way it is meant to be. The respectful gaze through which the film looks at them is quite commendable. I loved how the storytelling kept viewers’ sympathy for these characters at bay despite the nature of the story being like that. The movie encourages us to empathize with them just like we would have with any other characters in any other film. While the film doesn’t shy away from showing the obvious things like discrimination, oppression, unacceptance or forced acceptance faced by the people from the community in some of the safest places (family, work), the film’s victory lies in showing them not break in any way because of all this.
The three leads, Paritosh Tiwari as Noor, Bonita Rajpurohit as Kulu and Abhinav Santosh Singh as Gamepaapi, are excellent. Saying that their performances looked natural and did not feel like they were acting is the least form of praise one can give for their acts. They are all robustly remarkable. Supporting actors like Swaroopa Ghosh and Swastika Mukherjee play some of the emotionally complex characters with ease, making us instantly fall in love with their performances. That one bold scene of the latter made me respect the artist in her a lot more. She makes complex things look easy to act and comfortable to watch. Special mention to special appearances made by Mouni Roy, Tusshar Kapoor, Anu Malik, and Sophie Choudry, who make over-the-top and loud looks enjoyable and inexplicably natural and perfect.
I still love listening to the title track of Love Sex Aur Dhokha in Kailash Kher’s voice. It is a banger track. I did not find the music of Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 that impressive. Gandi Taal, sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and composed by Sneha Khanwalkar, refused to leave me for a long time, and Kamsin Kali instantly caught my attention. Similarly, in comparison to the spiritual prequel, Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 does not fall short in any manner. I still found the movie refreshing despite the heavy dose of familiarity. Kudos to Dibakar Banerjee for being that filmmaker who never compromises when it comes to offering us something unique. I was completely satisfied with this maddening film. I even enjoyed the brief appearance of Uorfi Javed. Going in with literally zero expectations, this one turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Long Live Dibakar Banerjee Cinema!
meri maaa, CINEMAAA 