Mixed Doubles

As in his earlier film Raghu Romeo, Rajat Kapoor dwells in a quite humorous and refreshing manner on important issues of life. This time, he examines marriage and sexuality, a subject that is rarely brought into the spotlight in Indian cinema. Sunil and Malti, a couple in their mid-thirties, live in Mumbai with their young son. They have a marriage of choice, not an arranged one, like the majority in India. They have a good income, a single child, a nice apartment, a decent job, good friends, a car… But life has got into a rut and the excitement is gone. Sunil gets obsessed with stories of an old friend, who now lives in the USA and claims that swinging refreshes the marriage. But will his wife Malti comply? Is it easy to start swinging in a still very traditional India? Is it confidential and safe? Issues like these start burdening the couple and threaten their easy-going lives. With a lot of maturity, Kapoor brings to the surface the psychological matrix of a modern Mumbai young couple, trying to understand both parties. This modern marriage saga, while being very Indian in its background and specifics, is a universal story of freedom, hypocrisy, hopes and expectations, that applies to any relationship. Kapoor worked very thoroughly with his actors, achieving a subtlety rarely seen in Indian cinema. One of the main roles is played by the director himself. (RS)