Afrad Vk’s debut feature is a beautiful tragic romance between two young men preparing for the final days of college life. Suku and Charlie are roommates-turned-lovers cocooned in their own private world, filling their days with literature, sex, drinking, and the pull of the Arabian Sea.

When Suku has to leave town suddenly due to a near-death health crisis, an abrupt pause is brought to their idyllic life. On his return, everything has changed. Reality and fantasy merge, the colonial past creeps into the present, and the lovers must reckon with the real world. Filmed on location in Kerala, the beautiful coastal light gives this film the hazy dreamlike quality that befits the tale. Riptide offers a queer antidote, centring love and romance between men, but facing head-on the perils of living an authentic gay life.

Presented in proud partnership with Queer Spectrum Film Festival.

PRE-FEATURE SHORT:

HALFWAY

Dir. Kumar Chheda. Film info: 9 mins, India, 2023, Digital

In the bustling heart of Mumbai, a turbulent couple starts at opposite ends of Juhu beach, walking towards each other in a heartfelt ode to those willing to meet halfway and make their love work.

Tickets on sale on the GAZE website here.