Riptide By Afrad VK: A Bold, Visual And Musical Odyssey
Starting from the first scene, Afrad VK’s Riptide unfolds with unfathomable curiosity, leaving the audience to wonder what is going to happen next—a perfect recipe for an engaging cinematic experience. All the while, the movie poses a pertinent question: Do your actions hold meaning, or are you living a meaningless life?
The way Riptide handles its cinematography is paramount. The visuals march on with a relentless rhythm. The extensive use of visual imagery and the clarity such visuals provide are the lifeblood of its storytelling. Indoors or outdoors, the film crafts powerful visual artistry that stays with you—the hostel room, the forest, the stream, and the car. Although the movie centres on just two protagonists, it incorporates a wealth of supporting “characters”: nature, the car (a Contessa) they travel in, the dainty breeze accompanying them, the ethereal music that follows them everywhere, the streams, and the woods, to name a few. There is no grand climax in the entire narrative. Instead, each cut and scene provides a sense of the river standing still, where every drop holds meaning. In other words, this movie is what poetry would look like in a visual language.
What makes a particular artwork or artist resonate with an audience? It is the impact they have on your thought process long after you’ve experienced them. From the first shot to the last, Riptide achieves this impact. As the story begins to unfold, you see a moving car. In fact, you may start to feel as though you have already seen or lived this moment, especially if you have experienced beaches and coconut-filled shores. The movie transitions to a road scene where the protagonists happily travel along a shore with flawless velocity. This scene feels like a retro-fantasy while subtly setting the tone for what is to come.
From Afrad VK’s Riptide
Sukirti (Swalah Rahman) and Charlie (Faris Hind) are friends in a gay relationship. Imagine how beautiful the journey of two teenagers or young adults can be when set in a vintage car within this context—there begins the brilliance in the narrative. The story meticulously details how their relationship progresses and grows, alongside the societal reactions typical of Kerala’s response to homosexuality.
It is, in fact, an engrossing drama filled with beautiful moments, albeit with a tragic end. The artistic rigour of Riptide occasionally echoes Ingmar Bergman’s filmmaking, which often delves into the existential abyss, exploring human frailty, mortality, and the silence of God—major elements covered by many great films. With haunting imagery and introspective dialogues, reminiscent of The Seventh Seal and Persona, Riptide confronts despair, identity, and the search for meaning. The film unravels life’s paradoxes with unrelenting philosophical depth and visual beauty.
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At certain points, the film adopts a The Seventh Seal-like mode, employing stark, high-contrast black-and-white cinematography to evoke a sense of grappling with death and despair. Iconic imagery blends realism with allegory, where humans and light sculpt existential tension, creating a visual language mirroring the film’s philosophical and spiritual inquiry. This includes the visibility of individuals, the plausibility of stories ending, the submerging of forests and countrysides, delusional and truthful visions, the endless flow of life, love, and more.
From Afrad VK’s Riptide
The commitment of the actors and the director, coupled with a soulful and potent background score and cinematography, makes certain scenes deeply poetic and visually mesmerizing. If you have ever encountered the profound pain of goodbyes, one particular scene in the movie will resonate with your emotions, capturing the vulnerability and powerlessness of the lead characters. The symbolism, evident in many scenes, is thoughtfully executed. One goodbye scene involves an object falling and rotating, symbolising human reactions during moments of despair.
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Another tool the movie uses to elevate its narrative is weaving a Kerala legend into the storyline. Although slightly extended, the introduction of ES Dawson, a British forest engineer who cherished the forests and rivers of Nedumkayam, enriches the narrative. Dawson’s story explores the repercussions of taking roads less travelled, the protagonists’ love, and Dawson’s reported disinterest in altering rivers. The film delves into Dawson’s love for pristine wilderness, immortalised in his tomb amidst a tranquil teak grove by the river that claimed his life. By portraying this serene spot, Riptide’s cinematography creates a profound connection to the untamed jungle, enhancing the film’s visual strength.
From Afrad VK’s Riptide
Afrad VK’s vision of reality and illusion, presented through a muted yet dynamic colour palette, is bold in content and mature in execution. Siraj Shameem’s sublime music is fresh in its adaptation, complementing the retro and ethereal tone of the story. Abhijith Suresh’s attentive cinematography makes Riptide a visual marvel.
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Swalah Rahman and Faris Hind, as Sukhu and Charlie, shoulder daring characters that move away from popular themes. Their promising and composed performances, combined with the film’s artistic brilliance, make Riptide a compelling and evocative cinematic experience.
(Riptide had a world premiere at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam (IFFR) 2024 and is part of the Kaleidoscope category in the upcoming International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)).
