The best part about Anurag Caulagi’s short film TAPS is in its authentic and relatable conversations!

TAPS starring Rohit Mehra and Ullas Samrat premiered at Kashish Film Festival this year and the 15 minute short film says more about love and relationships than 2 hour long feature films do these days!

A gay couple, Akshay and Rohan, spend their last night together before the two take on something almost every couple prays not to have in their relationship - long distance! And TAPS takes you on a journey of showing their love in the most relatable way possible. It’s not all swoon worthy moments but the fights, sorting things out after the fight and caring for each other despite being angry, where the core of the story really lies. The movie showcases being in a queer relationship in our society in such a normal way without trying too hard. 

There’s always two kinds of people in a relationship - a calmer and more practical one and one who thinks from the heart and loves passionately. When you watch the film, you’ll know who is who in the first 5 minutes itself. TAPS literally uses one location throughout the film - the house they’re living in together and that’s more than enough for us to feel the intensity of their relationship and also a clever set up for a story like this because our home is where we can be the most vulnerable, right? The idea of long distance brings out so many anxious feelings about the future. Will my relationship survive the test of time? What if my partner falls in love with someone else there? And so many more very valid questions go through Akshay’s mind as he cutely packs Rohan’s bag who is shifting to Norway for a year. The weight of these questions leads to an argument that hits so close to home and I feel it's important to show these trying times in a relationship on-screen as well. 

Also Read: Sunil Babu Pant’s Blue Flower shows the survival of a suppressed queer man in an orthodox village wanting to be set free of his obligations

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The scene where Rohan (Ullas Samrat) storms out in anger but Akshay (Rohit Mehra) opens the door and says ‘Can you please come inside, you have a flight to catch in an hour?’ portrays how you could be having the worst fight but that doesn’t make you love your partner any lesser. Making up after fights in fact brings you closer than before. While they hold hands in their building compound and sort it out in the last few moments, you feel the undeniably chemistry between the two. Kudos to the actors to keep us hooked to the film with a smile on our faces throughout. The more they tried to sort things out, the more my mind felt at ease as well. TAPS is about communicating. It's about the comfort that you have with your partner, putting your ego aside rather than losing them and most of all, it's about the fact that love is love!

It can totally be one of those movies that give you comfort after a long day at work. It takes you to a society where same sex is normal and it's totally no big deal to kiss your partner goodbye without anyone making a huge fuss about it. It has its ‘awww’ moments of young love and familiar moments that’ll probably give you flashbacks as well. 

Arvind Caulagi’s TAPS is available to watch online on The Kashish Film Festival website until June 25!

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