Forbidden Love is an anthology series of 4 love stories which are forbidden and not accepted by society. Each story is directed by renowned directors – Pradeep Sarkar, Priyadarshan, Aniruddha Roy Chaudhary, and Mahesh Manjrekar.
Arranged Marriage; Homosexuality
The first episode of the anthology, Arranged Marriage, revolves around a homosexual couple – Dev (Ali Fazal) and Neil (Omkar Kapoor). Neil is time and again forced by his family to get married and he does so under pressure. But Neil’s marriage with Kiya (Patralekha) sees a physical distance, obviously, as he was forced into a heterosexual relationship. Therefore, Kiya seeks out a psychiatrist who says that he has treated many people with the ‘disease’ of homosexuality by giving them shock therapy and can treat his husband too. And what happens further is a story to be seen.
While watching this episode I realized how homosexuality is still considered a taboo and a disease. Ill-informed individuals, who call themselves doctors, have done nothing more than harming people. Homosexuality is not a disease. There is a strong correlation between beliefs about what sexual orientation should be and the tolerance of non-heterosexuality and it is nothing more than brutal.
By this story, the social truth and views about homosexuality are being depicted, how individuals are forced into heterosexual relationships despite their sexual orientation. In no sense is any character wrong here, keeping in view the misinformation and fear that surrounds the matter. The film harbours strong emotions and challenges closed-mindedness. Emotions such as lust, hate, love, jealousy, loneliness in marriage, and more are being depicted in the first episode, making this anthology a must-watch. Truly, it is Forbidden Love!
Arranged Marriage is directed by Pradeep Sarkar.
Anamika; Infidelity
The second episode, Anamika, revolves around infidelity in a loveless marriage. Starring Pooja Kumar, Harsh Chhaya, and Aditya Seal the episode tells the story of Anamika (Pooja Kumar), whose husband is a workaholic and doesn’t provide her with much affection or attention. Working in a cafe, Anamika falls in love with a much younger guy (Aditya Seal). With him, she feels the rush of feeling and intimacy that was missing in her marriage. As the story progresses the lovers plan to escape and it is then that an ugly truth is discovered.
The episode harbours emotions such as infidelity, lust, elopement, and more. It talks about the vulnerability and fragility of feelings and how love or affection can hold you in the web of lies and manipulations. There are no intense, heart-thumping background scores to build around the story – it’s rather simple and very real. Tales of happily ever after and true love are taught to us from a very early age, but Anamika breaks that stereotype and moves ahead. The big revelation by the end is something you wouldn’t have thought about in the wildest of your imaginations.
Anamika is directed by Priyadarshan.
Stream It or Skip It
STREAM IT! Forbidden Love is one of those series that moves away from the stereotype, both in concept and the way it is depicted. Society forbids a lot of things but are they worth it? What society deems as taboo, are they really taboo? The series is definitely worth your time. The screenplay and the adequate use of sound and the setup all together work in favour of Forbidden Love.
The next two films of the anthology i.e., Rules of Games and Diagnosis of Love are all set to release on September 29, 2020.
Watch Forbidden Love| Arranged Marriage here.
Watch Forbidden Love| Anamika here.
Read our other reviews here.