#NewsBytesRecommends: 'Cycle' on Netflix—an emotionally moving tale of unadulterated kindness
What's the story
Prakash Kunte's heartwarming, slice-of-life drama Cycle on Netflix is a stirring, emotionally gratifying watch that tugs at your heartstrings in just the right way.
Effortlessly simple yet effective and emotionally resonant without being melodramatic, it has the markings of what a well-thought-out film with rounded characters looks like.
Eventually, its non-complicated, honest storytelling leaves you with a smile once the credits begin to roll.
Plot
Film revolves around astrologer Keshav, his beloved cycle
The fast-paced drama is set in the early years of post-independence India when both the country and its citizens were finding a new voice.
It revolves around Keshav, a passionate astrologer who commands immense respect and reverence in his village and the surrounding places.
He isn't an everyman and is rescued from a nondescript existence thanks to his beloved cycle, gifted by his grandfather.
Information
Disclaimer contextualizes what would otherwise have been incomprehensible
When the film begins, an important disclaimer greets us, "It is set in the time when people were innocent." It's this canvas of kindness that the film props itself against, reminding us of a time when kindness didn't painfully equal a needle in a haystack.
Setting
Cinematography turns back clocks, takes us back in time
One of the first points that stands out is the post-colonial setting—the film vividly paints a picture of an era gone by.
With palatial houses, lush green fields, and lives devoid of the venomous overabundance of technology, the cinematography captures a postcard memory and swoops us back in time.
This blends well with the plot: like this time, kindness, too, has ceased to exist.
Themes
Multiple themes, but they don't crush the film
Another noteworthy aspect is the way it is a masterful collection of several themes: father-daughter relationship, predestination vs free will, moral dilemmas, ethical quandaries, and most importantly, the whole village acting as a big family.
The entire drama is peppered with such themes throughout, and they all stick out individually because the film doesn't aspire to needlessly shove unnecessary messages down our throats.
Sentimentality
Sometimes, it's alright to love inanimate objects, too
The protagonist, Keshav, fawns over his cycle as if it were his own kid, it's almost as if the inanimate object is another family member he must pay unwavering attention to.
This is a poignant, moving feeling: to fall in love with a prized possession and honor it with a piece of your heart.
Not all love is reciprocated, but does that eventually matter?
Presentation
Questions what 'good' and 'bad' actually mean
Cycle seeks to drive home the point that good and evil aren't always well defined, and they are usually more nuanced and layered than they may seem at the first glance.
The way it treats "evil" is peculiar, too. In one scene, the good and the bad confront each other, but their interaction and meet-up defy all tropes we've known about "heroes" and "villains."
Conclusion
'Cycle' is lesson in humanity, compassion, kindness
Cycle never hurries to peddle to the last act—it's a film confident of itself and certain about the route it wishes to take.
It reminds us that acts of kindness may leave one surprised, but no matter how rotten one may be on the outside, they are always capable of redemption.
"Kindness is like magic," says one character. What better way to put it?