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{{Short description|2019 Indian documentary}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = About Love
| image =
| caption =
| director = Archana Atul Phadke
| producer = Archana Atul Phadke Abhay Kumar
| writer =
| starring = Maneesha Phadke Atul Phadke Neela Phadke Madhav Phadke Sagarika Phadke Rohan Phadke Laali Phadke Gurbani Bagga Phadke Sonal Phadke Sushila Bai
| music = Shane Mendonsa
| cinematography = Archana Atul Phadke
| editing = Archa Atul Phadke Abhay Kumar
| distributor = [[Mubi (streaming service)|Mubi]] (Europe) [[PBS]] (US)
| released = {{Film date|2019|6|6|df=y}}
| runtime = 91 minutes
| country = India
| language = Marathi English
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''About Love''''' is a 2019 Indian documentary film directed and edited by Archana Atul Phadke. Filmed over three years, the film follows three generations of the Phadke family living in the family home in [[South Mumbai|southern Mumbai]]. It premiered at the 2019 [[Sheffield DocFest|Sheffield International Documentary Festival]], where Phadke won the New Talent Award.

== Cast ==

* Maneesha Phadke
* Atul Phadke
* Neela Phadke
* Madhav Phadke
* Sagarika Phadke
* Rohan Phadke
* Laali Phadke
* Gurbani Bagga Phadke
* Sonal Phadke
* Sushila Bai

== Plot ==
The documentary follows three years in the life of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] Phadke family living in [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]], including family patriarch Madhav and his wife of 68 years, Neela; their son Atul and his wife Maneesha, who have been married for 32 years; and Atul and Maneesha's children, including single daughters Archana and Sagarika, as well as their son Rohan, who is engaged to a [[Sikhs|Sikh]] woman, Gurbani. Also living in the home is Madhave's brother Laali; the family are assisted by their maid of 52 years, Sushila. The film, composed of footage recorded by Archana, features scenes of domesticity, including arguments between Madhave and Neela, as well as Atul and Maneesha; preparations for Rohan's wedding to Gurbani; Madhave and Laali's declining health, including Madhave's eventual death and Laali's move into a care home; and Maneesha writing stories about [[Radha Krishna]].

Throughout the film, Archana and Sagarika are questioned on their unwillingness to get married, while Neela and Maneesha speak about the difficulties of being wives. The film culminates with Rohan's marriage, and his new wife Gurbani being formally welcomed into the family home.

== Production ==
''About Love'' was filmed over the course of three years by Phadke, using a handheld camera, primarily within the multi-storey family home she had grown up in southern Mumbai, which had belonged to the Phadke family since 1902.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Goswami |first=Ahendrila |date=29 August 2021 |title=About Love [2019] review: a nuanced exploration of love in a regular, Indian family |url=https://www.highonfilms.com/about-love-2019-mubi-review/ |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=High on Films |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Deborah |date=19 October 2019 |title='About Love': film review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/love-1248869/ |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Baughan |first=Nikki |date=17 June 2019 |title='About Love': Sheffield review |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/about-love-sheffield-review/5140441.article |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[Screen International]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> Phadke had become a 2017 alumnus of [[Berlinale Talents]], the [[Berlin International Film Festival]]'s talent development programme, following the release of her short film ''Uski Baarish'' (2013);<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Nidhi |date=October 2019 |title=About Love: Archana Phadke |url=https://www.platform-mag.com/film/about-love-archana-phadke.html |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=Platform}}</ref> ''About Love'' is her first feature film as a director.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Archana Phadke |url=https://www.berlinale-talents.de/bt//bt/talent/archana-phadke/profile |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[Berlinale Talents]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Release ==
''About Love'' premiered at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in 2019.<ref name=":3" /> That same year, it was also screened at the [[Mumbai Film Festival]], as part of the India Gold selection, as well as at the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=11 December 2022 |title=प्रेमाची परिभाषा सांगणारा अर्चना फडकेचा 'अबाउट लव्ह' |url=https://www.lokmat.com/movies/archana-phadkes-about-love-feature-film-a603/ |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[Lokmat]] |language=mr-IN}}</ref> The film subsequently aired on [[PBS]] in the United States and on [[Mubi (streaming service)|Mubi]] elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Love |url=https://mubi.com/films/about-love-2019 |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[Mubi (streaming service)|Mubi]]}}</ref>

== Reception ==
''About Love'' has received a positive critical reception both within India and internationally.

In India, in a five star review, ''[[Mashable]]'' called it a "beautiful piece of cinema", though did criticise the shaky quality of the handheld camera footage as being at times distracting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chatterjee |first=Pramit |date=25 October 2019 |title=About Love review: Archa Phadke's intimate film will make you hug your family members |url=https://in.mashable.com/entertainment/7942/about-love-review-archana-phadkes-intimate-film-will-make-you-hug-your-family-members |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[Mashable]] |language=en-in}}</ref> Ishita Sengupta in ''[[The Indian Express]]'' commended the film for highlighting the role of women within Indian family structures, which are often patriarchal in nature, and called it "a lesson in owning [and] accepting your 'embarrassing' family".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sengupta |first=Ishita |date=25 October 2019 |title=About Love: a lesson in owning/accepting your 'embarrassing' family |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/about-love-archana-phadke-mami-6087766/ |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en-IN}}</ref>

Internationally, Ahendrila Goswani from ''High on Films'' called Phadke "comic as well as cruel" in how she portrayed her family, ultimately commending the "beauty" that emerged from its depiction of the mundaneness of the family's day-to-day life.<ref name=":0" /> Writing for ''[[Screen International|Screen Daily]]'', Nikki Baughan praised Phadke's "frank approach and eye for detail" in drawing poignancy from "quiet, unassuming moments".<ref name=":2" /> Deborah Young from ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' called it a "small, unpretentious film about ordinary people".<ref name=":1" />

== Awards ==
Phadke won the New Talent Award at the 2019 Sheffield International Documentary Festival for ''About Love''.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Jennifer |date=7 August 2020 |title=POV: About Love |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/arts-culture/2020/08/07/pov-about-love |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=[[KPBS Public Media|KPBS]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The film also won Best Film at the 2019 Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart.<ref name=":3" />

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:2019 documentary films]]
[[Category:2019 films]]
[[Category:Indian documentary films]]
[[Category:2019 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2019 Indian films]]
[[Category:2019 Marathi-language films]]
[[Category:2019 English-language films]]

About Love (2019 film) - Revision history

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