In Praveen Satturu’s sensitive portrayal of modern relationships, there are instances where you almost spring from your chair to shriek that it’s you on screen. So profound is the impact of some scenes that it prompts you to take a trip down the memory lane and recollect all those important people you have met in your life. Life Before Wedding (LBW) has six characters starring Asif, Rohan, Chinmayi, Abhejit, Sidhu and Nishanti. The film has two parallel stories which chronicle the lives of these six characters and how their relationships change over a period of time.

What’s the story : Rishi (Sidhu) and Jai (Abhejit) are good friends who get introduced to Anu (Nishanti). Anu is a little reserved and doesn’t encourage Rishi to flirt with her. When Anu and Jai strike a friendship, it’s not too late before they realize that they are in love with each other. Elsewhere, in Dallas, USA, Radhika (Chinmayi) believes that Rakesh (Rohan) is the man of her dreams and proposes to him one day. When Rakesh turns her down, she finds her solace in Varun (Asif). How this ever-changing relationships influence their lives forms the rest of the story.

What is Good : Praveen Satturu, the director & writer, makes a solid debut with LBW. The six characters which he has written for the film have their own individuality which is quite blatant. None of them are dwarfed in comparison with the other. What’s endearing is that all the six actors who portray the respective roles put in their heart and soul into the film. LBW’s biggest strength is the conversations between the actors. The maturity with which the relationships are handled stands out in the film. In a way, they end up being the reflection of the new generation of adults who are independent and at the same time face the dilemma of whether to break free from parental pressure or bow your head to destiny. Of the actors, Nishanti and Abhejit stand out and the fact that their track has more emotional appeal than others works in their favour. Abhejit as Jai is almost perfect as a college student who suddenly realizes that he’s in love with his friend and on the other hand, Nishanti as Anu conveys a lot of emotions through her eyes. Among other actors, Chinmayi scores an ace, thanks to the flamboyant and chirpy role that she enacts. Rohan fits into the shoes of his character pretty well. Asif and Sidhu do a commendable job too.

What is bad: The film’s screenplay which flip-flops between the two stories is a little difficult to adjust to in the beginning. While we see the two stories are indeed compliment each other in terms of how the relationships unfold, the emotional graph has its share of ups and downs. It’s only when the narration concentrates on one couple’s story for a longer time that the film makes the maximum impact.

Technical Departments : Andrew Red, Suresh Bhargav’s cinematography is a huge asset to the film. Right from the colours used for every frame to the lighting, they do a wonderful job in the film. Anil R’s music is soothing and most of the songs are part of story-telling. Editing by Dharmendra’s is good and he gives enough room for conversations to take their own course without cutting anything short. LBW is Praveen Satturu first attempt at filmmaking and prior to this he has never called the shots or written a story. Well, what can we say? His zeal to make a sensible film and choice of actors make LBW a good watch. The best part about the film is how Praveen handles emotions other than love, which is never mushy. The tears and the anguish of the couples are genuine and Praveen captures it to the tee.

Bottomline : The climax of the film throws up lot of interesting questions about how the characters deal with their destinies. It would be a crime to reveal what the climax is or if these two parallel stories are inter-connected and I recommend that you watch the film to come to your own conclusions. Fate is a strange thing – it surprises you at the most unexpected situations. For some it becomes a reason to celebrate and other accept it because they have no other choice. And Life Before Wedding (LBW) is a wonderful film which chronicles some such instances which decide our fate. It might very well be our own life’s story or at least a part of it. Thumbs up for the film and the team. It’s good to see at least some people believing in their films so much that they don’t try to please everyone.