Tasalli Se is a drama short film directed by Tarun Dudeja and produced by Yuvaa Originals. The film stars Nakuul Mehta and Naveen Kasturia in the lead roles and has a runtime of 24 minutes.
The series is described in their trailer description as:
Sacche dost chaahe kitne bhi samay tak ek doosre se baat na kare, lekin apni dosti woh kabhi nahi bhoolte. Tasalli se kahani hai do aise hi dosto ki. Aisi dosti jo ek taraf khwab jaisi nazuk hai aur doosri taraf iraade jitni mazboot. Somesh aur Ranjan kabhi dost hua karte thay. Ab 12 saal baad dono woh kar rahe hain jo unhe tabhi kar lena chahiye tha. Ek doosre se baat, aur apne gusse ko khatam.
– Tasalli Se review does not contain spoilers –
Relationships take work. Somesh and Ranjan learn that the hard way when their friendship halts for 12 years thanks to a misunderstanding. However, they are similar in ways that matter and understand each other in ways no one else probably can. There’s something sweet about two best friends catching up after losing contact for whatever reason – their stories seem familiar even though you have not lived their lives. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug and it’s very easy to get swept up by it.
As Somesh and Ranjan discuss what happened all those years ago and catch up with each other, you too feel their sadness and longing for each other’s friendship. Both leads bring forth a sense of familiarity and comfort when in each other’s company, making it easy for you to believe that they were close at one point. However, there’s enough discomfort at first to further make you believe that there are still some obstacles for them to go over.
That being said, Tasalli Se doesn’t really give us much in terms of a storyline – there really isn’t much to tell. I’ve seen magic being done in 24 minutes but in this case, the story leaves not a lot of impressions on your heart and mind. Sure, it’s sweet and nostalgic but there’s no heart in it. You don’t see what the point of the movie is after it’s over. A lot can be said in such situations, about the people and why they fell out. However, Tasalli Se tells an awkward story without much direction to it. Just a repetition of some things and a lot of intellectual quotes.
The story’s main point is to talk to each other instead of letting your anger fester and there are some moments that shine. But for the majority of it, the friends’ discussions feel bare and uninteresting. It also fails to bring forth who these people are and why such a hearty friendship could end thanks to a Facebook post.
When you think about it, that itself is an interesting concept – if two people are that close friends, how can they just stop being so without even a conversation about the disagreement? The short does try to address it but isn’t able to. In the end, two emotional life events from each of the characters’ lives fail to make us sympathise with them since the characters themselves don’t seem fleshed out.
I think that’s one of the most important parts of short films. Since the runtime is so short, it is absolutely necessary for us to sympathise and relate with the characters first and foremost to witness this small sliver of their lives. Without it, the story misses out on the heart of the experience, considering its tiny runtime. This is where Tasalli Se misses out and in the end, you are left with a philosophical tale about friendship with small glimmers of nostalgia – one that is unable to make any sort of impact in any way.
Summing up: Tasalli Se
Tasalli Se, in spite of its relatable and emotional subject matter, fails to make an impact because its characters don’t seem fleshed out whatsoever. The core of the story seems repetitive thanks to the way it’s presented to its audience. In the end, you are just left feeling a bit confused, wondering why you watched two friends talk about random things and sort out their differences without almost no effort.
Tasalli Se is streaming on Amazon MiniTV.
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