Past Lives follows the story expanding across generations where two individuals deeply connected by friendship to begin with come to terms with the concept of love in contrasting manners. Will fate give them another chance? The story here is painfully relatable and one of the most beautiful pieces of writing that I have witnessed all year. It did feel so personal right from the conversations to the smaller mannerisms that touched my heart from start to finish! The screenplay standing at just 95 minutes does make for a brisk watch that is taut and something that left me gently smiling while leaving me broken at the end!

The drama is bittersweet right from the beginning where a frame pans into three characters sitting by the bar, with two of them talking. It was almost from a bystander glance wherein you could form your judgements on which two people were partners and who was the odd one out. Soon, the drama does cut to a flashback wherein you are introduced to the two protagonists who are still in their childhood and haven’t quite discovered love for one another. A twist of fate separates the two of them, and as they say the person who leaves is never quite sad. It is the person who is left behind that carries the burden in his heart.

The proceedings are compelling and painfully relatable particularly when the two of them meet again with a twist of fate. But for love to conquer, mountains need to be moved and soon they are separated by distance. There is a beautiful philosophy integrated in the drama(hence the title Past Lives) which is beautifully equated to Karma in so many ways. At this point, you know exactly where the drama is headed and it was almost like a seething wound waiting to puncture your heart. It was painstaking and gut-wrenching given that I have been there and done that, like is the case with one of the characters in the film. But to unlearn is the hardest part and it does take a fair amount of time for acceptance to set in. This while you hope for a miracle against hope.

The writers do a fabulous job in showcasing the different cultures through the two languages. The different lifestyles and way of living is so well communicated to the viewer that it tugs the strings of your heart. Holding onto your past can also affect your present, and this theme is also beautifully woven in the screenplay. Often it is a wharf of perfume or certain aspects of the person that you seek in another individual which often does lead to disappointment. And that again was so well showcased here.

Sometimes, you do keep questioning the fate whereas the reality is that it isn’t meant to be(probably due to Karma from your past lives). The film does make you fall in love with some wonderfully written characters and I could picture myself as one of them very distinctly(and eerily in every aspect). The ending just broke me all over again though I did have a smile on my face that was integrated with acceptance. What is yours will find a way to you, what isn’t never was earlier too! What a beautifully penned screenplay, perhaps the best that I have witnessed all year!