Alex arrives at the airport to pick Sahil up, much to his surprise. When they eventually part ways, Jai writes a text message to Sahil saying he loves him but does not send it. He rejects Sahil's efforts at reconciliation, and tells him that they can never be together because they have vastly different lives. When he leaves, Sahil and Jai embrace, but do not talk about the rape.Īt the airport, Jai asks Sahil to leave. Alex offers to take back Sahil's belongings and give the two some more time together. Alex dances with Jai, who is completely smitten by Sahil by this point. Alex notices the guitar and insists that Sahil play for him Sahil obliges with an original song. The four head back to the hotel room to collect Sahil's belongings, as Jai plans to return to New York later that night. The group discuss their lives over supper, which is cut short by an argument between Alex and Sahil over the former's irresponsible behaviour. Sahil stays, but refrains from conversing with Jai.Īs planned, the two meet Alex (Menon), Sahil's boyfriend, who is accompanied by a friend, Junior (Chaddha). Jai apologises and tells Sahil that he need not stay any longer if he doesn't want to. The two kiss, but when Sahil tries to pull away, Jai rapes him, only to immediately regret it. Jai counters by blaming Sahil for not reciprocating his affection from the beginning. This leads to a confrontation between the two back in the hotel room, during which Sahil accuses Jai of being scared of coming out. Sahil interrupts the meeting and embarrasses Jai with a romantic gesture witnessed by everyone present. At the hotel room, the two admit to their mutual attraction, just before Jai has to leave for his meeting.
They later return to a hotel in Mumbai for Jai's scheduled business meeting. Sahil takes Jai to an overhanging cliff with a scenic view of Mahabaleshwar, where the two kiss. The next morning, the two visit the Ghats as Sahil had intended. One night, Jai makes a pass at Sahil, who is initially hesitant but eventually responds to his advances. Jai, on the other hand, is disgruntled with Sahil's continuous complaints. Sahil is irked by Jai's increasingly indifferent behaviour and his workaholic nature. Throughout their trip, they argue about their past failure to maintain a relationship. While at a music store, Jai is impressed by Sahil's skill as a guitarist and suggests that he pursue a career as a full-time musician.
The duo drive to Mahabaleshwar overnight and upon arrival decide to visit the local market. The trip coincides with the latter's business meeting in Mumbai. Sahil (Ganesh), a young Mumbai-based musician, plans a weekend getaway to the Western Ghats with his childhood friend, Jai (Panditt), a successful businessman who lives in New York. The film won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2016 Tel Aviv International Film Festival. Commentators were also appreciative of the unconventional and fresh treatment of same-sex relationships in India. Particular praise was given for the script as well as the performances of Panditt and Ganesh.
The film was well received by the critics and audience alike during the international premiers at film festivals. It had its North American premiere at the 2016 South By Southwest Film Festival and premiered in India at the 2016 Mumbai International Film Festival.
Loev had its world premiere at the 2015 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia. It relied on crowdfunding and cost-cutting measures its budget was relatively low at $1 million. The film was shot in the summer of 2014, over the course of 16 days by the cinematographer Sherri Kauk in 2K resolution. Principal photography took place at Mahabaleshwar, in the Western Ghats in peninsular India, and at Mumbai. It was eventually picked up for production by Arfi Lamba and Katherine Suckale despite Saria's own doubts on its viability. Saria wrote Loev 's script while he was working on the draft of the unreleased film I Am Here and drew heavily from his personal experiences. The film's title is a deliberate misspelling of the word "love". Loev also features Siddharth Menon and Rishabh Chaddha in supporting roles. It was Ganesh's final film role as he died from tuberculosis prior to the production's release. It stars Dhruv Ganesh and Shiv Panditt as two friends who set off to the Western Ghats for a weekend trip and focuses on their complex emotional and sexual relationship. Loev (pronounced love) is a 2015 Indian romantic drama film written and directed by Sudhanshu Saria.