Dressed in hippie clothes and a nonchalant attitude, the character Luca is a stereotypical artist of abundant talent. With a friend circle of less than dozen people and a fluid lifestyle, art the essence of his life. But Luca cannot be defined by his art or his company. The personality here is a combination of characters. There is the rebellious side ready to wage wars and there is the helpless soul left alone in the world. He lives most of his days in the middle of these extremes, finding solace in art and friendships.
He is not good with words. Either it is hot outbursts of anger or silence. And it's the art that does the speaking. The connection he makes with Niharika Banerjee is a combination of this and anger and silence. Both of them are connected through a painful past that they have survived, but are still haunted by. Death of any kind gives Luca the creeps, while it's the deeds of the living that keeps Niharika awake at night. Without so many words, their story is entwined with a sense of comfort and safety they get when in each other's company.
Niharika is at once impressed and angry at Luca for his selfless love towards others. His actions and activism are done without considering his own vulnerability. Character is presented as frail and strong simultaneously. So is Niharika's, with her determination to save Luca through her own grief.
Told through the pages of Niharika's diary, the story is a fragmented account of the Luca Niharika sees and loves. An artificiality is felt when each account starts with Niharika's voice reading her own diary. It begins to feel stale and even comical towards the end. And there are either too many details or none at all, in these fragments. Luca's past experiences of dealing with the death of parents and the trauma he suffers are the main element of his whole persona. The death phobia and anxiety that stems out of it has been beautifully portrayed throughout.
Luca's life story is narrated parallel to the investigation following his enigmatic death. This unique style of narration deserves praise, and it has been dealt with with apt direction as well.
But the movie leaves us feeling that it could have been more beautiful. The story and the characters could have been more defined and focused. The movie reminds us of Martin Prakkat's Charlie. The two have similar lead characters and even the style of narration. But Luca doesn't get born in the audience's minds as Charlie does.
Luca as an artist has been etched out with perfection through the rooms and neighborhood he lives in. The creativity of the art directors has made the main business loud and clear. Creative decorations and artwork adorn the screen throughout.
And of course, Luca's case is also a redemption experience for the investigating officer, Akbar, from his own past. Maybe it is the distinct ways we have to choose to get out of the labyrinth of suffering that Luca represents.
credit: third party image reference
Director: Arun Bose
Story: Arun Bose and Mridul George
Cinematography: Nimish Ravi
Art Direction: Anees Nadody
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