Shefali Shah’s latest film, Three of Us, is an amalgamation of experiencing the coastal breeze, past life, and the poetry of living. This rare kind of film explores the delicate theme of dementia. Unravelling its impact on relationships and the quest to rediscover what they left behind.
The film’s lead character, Shailaja summarises the poignant theme of the film in a simple yet impactful dialogue. She says (originally in Hindi), “Our whole life is spent in a dilemma. Do we choose a busy or peaceful life? Only recently life said to me, slow down, so I did.”
Why did Shailaja go back to her hometown?
At the heart of the film Three of Us is Shailaja’s daily battle with absent-mindedness. One afternoon while watching kids play she gets reminded of her childhood. It starts a burning desire to reconnect with her past before she loses all her beloved memories to dementia.
She asks her husband Dipankar (Swanand Kirkire) to take her to Vengurla, a coastal town in Maharashtra. As Shailaja steps into Vengurla, her memories start piecing together a forgotten past. While trying to familiarize herself with the streets of her memories, she is accidentally recognized by her old school friend Gauri. A name is constantly mentioned since her arrival, Pradeep Kamat (Jaideep Ahlawat).
Soon after she meets the aforementioned childhood friend, Pradeep who instantly recognizes her despite seeing her after such a long time. What ensues after in Three of Us is a beautiful tale of childhood memories, unspoken love, and the trio’s interactions.
Additionally, Shailaja’s visit takes a cathartic turn when she visits her childhood home. While tracing the memories laced within the walls of the forgotten home she comes across a painful memory. Her sister fell down the courtyard well while the duo were playing because of this her family left Vengurla in the first place.
Three of Us ending: What happened to Shailaja and Pradeep’s relationship in the end?
The film delicately navigates the dynamics of a subtle forgotten love between Shailaja and Pradeep while Dipankar tries to understand their relationship. One particular scene brings this tangent into a cinematic scene that speaks louder than words. The trio standing together.
Toward the end, Shailaja, Dipankar, Pradeep, and his daughter spent their final day together at a local fair. Pradeep who had a sense that something must have happened that brought her back to Vengurla asked her husband if she was fine. He reveals that Shailaja has been diagnosed with dementia.
As Pradeep and Shailaja go on a Ferris wheel ride, they recall the last time they had visited the fair. The latter who had forgotten all about it was reminded of all the small details that happened that day. He reminded her how she was angry at him for bringing flowers only for her and not for everyone. Because of this, she did not ride the Ferris wheel with him when only he was the last one left.
However, it was also the last time he saw her as she and her family left town soon after. Nonetheless, she apologizes for leaving him without saying goodbye as tears roll down the pair’s faces.
Three of Us is currently streaming on Netflix.
