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Dil Dosti Etc (2007)
When you are young you believe the possibilities are endless...
A young college fresher, Apu bored with his life in college in Delhi takes on his best friend's challenge - can he have sex with 3 women in a day? The women that Apu finds himself attracted to range from a prostitute, to a virgin, to a rich model. As our protagonist searches for women he can love, what is explored are the very nature of friendship, male bonding, voyeurism, sexual perversion and love.
The film is set around students in Delhi University. Through two university hostelers, Apurv, a rich cosmopolitan guy and, Sanjay, an old-fashioned Bihari guy, the film juxtaposes the 'new' and the 'old' in Indian society. Sanjay represents the romantic and the idealist who has steadfastly pursued goals using conservative means. On the other hand, Apurv's life is directionless.
He is a modern day skeptic who between the two ways to know love emotional and carnal - chooses the latter. The three female leads, that of a prostitute, a school girl and a rich model are intricately used not only as love interests of our heroes but also to have the viewers chart a range of emotions. This film uses a rich ensemble of characters, stories and themes to aptly reflect the mood of urban India.
Apurv has just started his college life in Delhi. To avoid the harsh hostel ragging, he spends a few nights in the city's red-light area. Here, he is introduced to Vaisali, an attractive but sharp-tongued prostitute. Apurv joins the hostel residents in a grand yet eerie celebration of the final day of ragging. He is introduced to the hostel's band-of-boys: Sanjay, a popular presidential candidate in the upcoming college elections, Sonu, an energetic loafer and a Sanjay loyalist, Deepak a visually-impaired hosteler with homosexual leanings, and Mark, an indophile American.
Apurv, more relaxed now, begins to discover life in the hostel, college and neighbourhood. However, lectures in the college have little exciting to offer. He remains bored and pensive, and looks for a challenge that could make his life more exciting and meaningful. In the neighbourhood Apurv meets a school-going girl, Kintu whom he wants to befriend while she coquettishly remains noncommittal. He also continues his visits to Vaisali at the kotha. Apurv's major preoccupation is trying to find women he can love.
In the background, rages the politics of college election complete with student gang wars and Sanjay's maneuvers for the presidential slot. Here enters Prerna Heerjawahar: a hot and rich girl with beauty crown aspirations. Sanjay's charismatic performance in a loud street fight ensures Prerna's fascination for Sanjay. Soon the ambitious duo becomes the odd pair on the campus.
Meanwhile, Apurv has made a limited headway with Kintu she will allow him to come along for a movie, share a cigarette and an odd kiss. Kintu's ex-boyfriend, Rajesh finds this unpalatable and beats Apurv up. Sanjay's gang avenges this. The same evening, Rajesh is dragged out of his house and brutally pulverized. Apurv can now deal with the 16-year old Kintu at peace. However, Kintu's mother with middle-class values intact ensures that the progress remains slow. Apurv's other interest, Vaisali has proved to be more than a handful. She remains brazen and offensive. Apurv decides to try seducing her into submission taking it as a sign for a prostitute falling in love.
At a party (-turned-orgy) at Prerna's farmhouse, Apurv hits it off with a new girl. The smooth seduction makes Sanjay admire the easy charm Apurv has with girls. The next day, sitting in an old monument, Sanjay challenges him, if he can have sex with 2 women on a single day. The quiet of the place and his own confidence prompts Apurv to say, "Yes, I can". Sanjay throws another bait, "Can you do 3 women in a day?" Apurv answers in negative, but now he has finally got a challenge he wants to live up to. The task carries both a visceral and a symbolic meaning for him. Apurv spends the rest of the film pursuing this goal. For Sanjay, the race for the college elections too has heated up. He is the top seeded candidate but has got two popular and powerful rivals to beat. The film now moves towards a volatile climax. For all the indulgence and decadence that Apurv thinks he can afford, someone now needs to pay a price.
Love Story explores the very nature of friendship, male bonding, voyeurism, sexual perversion and love. This original screenplay full with realism and black humour shows the coming of age of not only a young man but also the social codes & mores of Delhi.