Getting advice on marriage and feeling accepted may be a daunting prospect in the South Asian community. Now imagine swapping phones with your prospective spouse and having only 24 hours to determine the future fate of a possible match.
If your phone revealed everything, would your love survive?
Expect the unexpected when watching Love Today, a story that revolves around the power of social media to determine the outcome of relationships.
The film, acted and directed by Pradeep Ranganathan, highlights the concept of trust and faith in relationships in a world where social media dominates. The film balances humour, romance and drama, which makes it particularly relevant for today’s audience.
In the film, Uthaman Pradeep and his girlfriend Nikitha Shatri are in the honeymoon stage of their relationship. They know everything about each other and call one another day and night. The relationship starts getting serious, and it’s time for marriage, but Venu Shatri (Nikitha’s father) demands the couple switch phones for 24 hours to see if they are faithful online.
The dialogue is impactful with messages the current generation would benefit from when being in a relationship. For instance, Pradeep’s mother, Saraswathi, comments: “Everybody wants a trustworthy partner, but none of them wants to be a trustworthy partner themselves.” This highlights the wants and needs in a relationship, and recognizes that while many crave loyalty and trust, they may not be willing to offer the same in return.
The movie recognizes the struggles of maintaining a relationship when the digital world alters the perception of how love is viewed. Love Today proves that trust between romantic partners needs to look past the flaws of social media.
Nikitha’s father, Venu, says, “I didn’t do this so that you both fight and break up. I did this to see if you’re both willing to make things work no matter what.”
Venu wants the young couple to overcome their struggles through commitment and effort to prove their relationship can withstand any obstacle.
These messages emphasize the main theme of the film: trust must be earned, not expected. This is what makes a relationship last. In this case, social media is taking a toll on the relationship, but trust and faith strengthen the bond.
Each character in this film brings insight on different types of relationships and how to overcome obstacles within their story. However, the challenges all characters face is trust.
The characters in this film express genuine and relatable emotions, making the film feel natural. Each character changes over time, providing an engaging viewing experience with an unexpected narrative.
Most impressive is the soundtrack. The songs are well-timed with snappy composition. Each track captures the essence of the scene and leaves the audience with an impression of the character. For instance, Mamakutty, Nikitha’s ex, texts are read out loud with Nikitha’s voiceover and the song “Mamakutty” blends with the reading, creating an upbeat energy in a serious scene.
This scene has reached over 3.3 million views on YouTube. Yuvan Shankar Raja curated the tracks according to each scene, creating a sense of relevance and depth for audience connection.
Overall, Love Today is an authentic, entertaining and thought-provoking film that resonates with viewers navigating romantic relationships in the digital world.