It is remarkable how director Hardik Gajjar transformed the short story "Chandlo" by Kaajal Oza Vaidya into a 110-minute romantic drama. The initial 50 minutes of the film were nearly flawless; however, a significant twist occurs, leading to a gradual loss of rhythm, despite the presence of excellent music. While the film is not a failure, the noticeable decline in quality is particularly striking given the strong start.

According to IMDb, the film centers on a woman who enters an arranged marriage devoid of affection. Over time, she develops love for her husband, which enables them to confront their challenges together.

However, I must clarify that the film diverges significantly from this premise - actually IMDb has a wrong plot! In this film, Meera and Aastha live together, with Meera choosing to dedicate her life to supporting Aastha, who is grieving the loss of her husband, Utsav. Meera endeavors to assist Aastha in moving forward, but progress is slow until a renowned singer, Sharan, moves into the apartment above them. As Sharan and Aastha form a bond, Meera observes her daughter-in-law beginning to heal and rediscover joy. Nevertheless, Sharan has other plans.

The cast includes writer Kaajal Oza Vaidya in the role of Meera, Shraddha Dangar as Aastha, Manav Gohil as Sharan, and Jayesh More as Tapas, all of whom delivered commendable performances.

Kaajal Oza has crafted a narrative that addresses the complexities of age in relationships, a topic that is gradually gaining attention worldwide. Its inclusion in a Gujarati film is both surprising and commendable. I found it to be quite enjoyable.

Chandlo, based on Kaajal's short story by the same name comes as a breath of fresh air and is sheer poetry. It is like reading a beautiful novel on a rainy morning!

Chandlo breaks stereotypical barriers of mother-in-law-daughter in law relationships, age related barriers, age old societal mores and beliefs and straddles complex relationships with ease. The narrative is steady, has an unhurried pace and never drags. The overarching theme of the story is LOVE. Love that just happens and is not about age, looks, or gender. It is about what draws tow individuals towards each other, be it intelligence, maturity, attitude, talent and of course mutual respect!

The story has the Kaajal stamp where she inspires women through her character to be her own person, confident of her feelings and values...but at the same time is vulnerable and feels bogged down by society. What is remarkable is that despite their circumstances none of the characters wallow in self-pity.

The music by Sachin Jigar is beautiful, soothing and almost a character of the film. The lyrics by Milind Gadhvi are meaningful and carry the narrative forward. There are no comic scenes or characters that distract the seamless narrative.

The chemistry between the characters is natural and all the actors play their parts with utmost commitment and sincerity. Kudos to the young director Hardik Gajjar for picking up such a complex subject and handling it with dignity and class. A shout out to the producers for having brought this movie for us viewers. Gujarati movies have truly come of age! Not since Mahesh Bhatt'a 'Arth have I seen such a mature, well handled love story.

A dialogue in the movie goes 'Words have no age.' I wish Kaajal continues to write and bring out such gems till eternity!

Subha Pande.