Love Hostel

As always, Raman pulls no punches. And that’s both the major strength and a minor weakness of the film. You wish he had reigned it in somewhere: this is a brilliant, brutal excavation of a world which inexorably, relentlessly closes in on his characters, and us. I wanted to be able to catch a breath. After a point, ‘Love Hostel’ becomes airless. I sat with my heart in my mouth, taking in great gulps of air when the end credits began to roll, and emerged on the other side, battered and enraged. Is there really no way out? No easy answers in film, and in real life.

At little less than two hours, Love Hostel is a tense, taut watch made all the more sinister by its taciturn villains. A single glare from Swaroopa Ghosh is enough to send shivers down the spine. Bobby Deol's new found comfort in evil, violent characters marks an exciting phase in his career. A calculated aggression shoots out from his dishevelled appearance and weary eyes rendering him far more foreboding than his legendary memes would like us to believe. Two of the most heartfelt actors in the current crop, Vikrant Massey and Sanya Malhotra, effortlessly convey the flavour of the world they inhabit, warts and all, and why the bonds that tie them are no match for the differences that wish to break them apart. Love is love. And it is strong. But hate is hate too. And lately, it's stronger than ever.