Set along the Ganges in Banaras, India, Neeraj Ghaywan's Fly Away Solo is a harrowing portrait of contemporary India, exposing how narrow-minded, old traditions conflict with the budding aspirations and desires of the more progressive, younger generation. Focusing on two separate stories which share this common struggle, Fly Away Solo is quite a sobering tale, a study of grief and perseverance as each of these young characters attempt to find their place in the world. One of the stories is centered around a young student in Devi, who after having a romantic encounter with a fellow student in a hotel room, becomes a victim of police corruption, as her and her father become entangled in torment due to the orthodox perspectives of their community. The other main story focuses on Deepak, a low cast man who falls deeply in love with a woman from a higher caste, with their budding romance ending in tragedy. Without going into too much detail in this review, Fly Away Solo is a gripping character study that deconstructs the shortcomings of much of India's old customs, exploring the torment which many of these orthodox views and old-way of thinking have on its characters. While Devi and Deepak's paths only cross very briefly, they both suffer from the same narrow-minded thinking, with Fly Away Solo creating a sense of oppression which is deeply felt throughout this beautifully crafted film. Fly Away Solo touches on a host of issues facing India through these character's stories, such as the lack of upper economical mobility, rampant misogyny, and corruption, just to name a few. Neeraj Ghaywan's direction only aids in telling this tale, with poetic visuals that evoke the sense of grief, struggle, and ultimate hope of its characters. The film features intimate characterizations but the filmmaker makes it clear that this is a much bigger story than just these two individuals, using the Ganges river as visual representation of life itself, and ultimately hope, as each of thse characters strive for a better life. In the end, what stands out about Fly Away Solo is the film never makes excuses for its characters either, exclaiming the importance of personal responsibility and perseverance, even when life only provides darkness. Every character in Fly Away Solo is well-developed and serves the film's overall message, as filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan has created a powerful study of contemporary India that is deeply tragic but also hopeful towards the younger generation to take responsibility into their own hands and force progress.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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