One evening, on a park bench, a couple meet to say their goodbyes. One of them is soon moving out of town and they have yet to determine how to take their relationship forward. Friends all their lives, the two are in the twilight zone between friendship and a relationship. While their love and affection for each other shine bright through their badly formed defenses, they are yet to accept the truth staring them in the face. The way they look out for each other and the heartfelt concern for the other person’s well-being come out in their playful banter, recalling events in their lives since childhood. When they look back at their naïve childhood ideas about life ahead and the future of their relationships, they have a good laugh together.
‘Last Promise’ is a narrative short directed by Rohan S. Patne. Roshan creates a pensive moment in the life of a young couple who see their younger selves on the bench across the park. As they grapple with the situation of an imminent farewell, struggling to bury their true feeling for each other under the weight of the friendship they have nurtured since childhood, they see their naïve younger selves sitting across from them making grandiose plans for the life ahead. A well-written screenplay that effectively uses dialogues to take the viewer through a whirlwind tour of the lives of the two, the film finds its essence in its simplicity of execution. The performances of both the couples are a treat to watch as the pairs match their mutual chemistries ‘to a t’.
‘Last Promise’ treats the shock of life, turning out to differ from what our younger selves had expected, with ‘kid gloves’. It is only when we look at both the situations side by side that we understand ‘what should have been’, ‘what could have been’ and ‘what is’ are often a result of the decisions we make, some good and some bad.
