When Hearts Remember: The Many Shades of First Love
When ‘First Love’ debuted, it did not arrive with the fanfare of a blockbuster or the publicity surrounding a studio giant. Instead, it arrived calmly and softly. It is a film about youth, longing, and the formative period when the heart feelings the tender emotions of love for the very first time. The calm was, however, not a sign of a lack of interest. ‘First Love’ was able to trigger conversations, to the point that it remained a cultural reference long after it had left the cinema. It was not merely a romance; it was a piece of cinema that reflected the permanent imprint of affectionate love, particularly in Indian culture.
A Story That Felt Familiar, Yet New
First Love, at its heart, is a narrative that every individual has in the depths of their consciousness. It explores the story of two young people who, by a happy accident, meet, drift together in a bond that is a mixture of companionship and solitude and then discover that love is not simply about the joy of possessing another. It is deeply about the discovery of oneself. The story is treated and structured in cycles of nature: summer’s carefree warmth to the melancholy of the rains, an homage, and reference to the rich traditions of Indian cinema.
Nonetheless, there is a certain emotional finesse within that superficial simplicity. The film does not glorify youth or romanticize a broken heart. It quietly observes a certain ripening, from innocence to a more profound understanding. Nupur Asthana, who previously showcased the spirit of young India in Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Hip Hip Hurray, brought that same sensibility here, albeit in a more subdued and mature manner. A modest “small film about big feelings” summation, as described by Nupur, fits the final movie perfectly.
The People Who Carried the Heartbeat
The strongest aspect of the film, First Love, was the cast. Tanya Maniktala, who recently received praise for A Suitable Boy, portrayed the role of Aarushi, a small-town girl with the soul of an artist, and a practicality of a scientist. The conflict in Tanya’s real-life journey closely resembled that of Aarushi’s: it was a constant limbo between creative curiosity and expectations of the world. Beginning her professional journey as a content creator, she was quickly introduced to serious acting, much like the hesitant love that Aarushi was initially apprehensive about.
Her performance exuded a calm authenticity that can only come from restraint. Tanya once told me how she drew inspiration from her grandmother’s stories of falling in love during a more “innocent time,” when letters took days to arrive and a look could say everything. One can sense that nostalgia in her performance — a quiet and aching feeling that is generations old.
Ritvik Sahore, who has become a familiar face in India’s web-series, was cast opposite her. “Cute teenage roles” is likely how many audiences still see him, having previously starred in the boy-next-door roles in Flames and Laakhon Mein Ek. In the web-series, he played Karan, a role of a dreamer trapped in the web of responsibilities and passion. In the First Love series, Sahore, most spoke about, moving beyond “cute teenage roles” centered around teenage love. He delivered a performance that was mature and hauntingly real, one that finally showcased the range he has for roles.
When Real Life and Reel Emotion Blur
The chemistry between Tanya and Ritvik didn’t feel performed. It felt like two people slowly learning to understand each other’s silences. That’s because Nupur Asthana encouraged them to improvise many of their dialogue-heavy scenes. During early rehearsals, she asked them to spend hours together without a script — just talking, arguing, or sitting quietly while the camera observed from afar. What emerged was not scripted love but discovered intimacy.
Behind the camera, cinematographer Anshuman Mahaley captured the film like a memory. He used soft natural lighting and handheld shots, giving the film an almost diary-like intimacy. The way sunlight falls on a face, the way rain trickles across glass — these weren’t decorative frames. They were metaphors for emotional shifts, for that fragile space between comfort and confession.
The music composed by Amit Trivedi showed how beauty could be understated. Trivedi used unembellished acoustic textures consisting of soft piano chords, unrefined vocals, and gentle guitar strumming instead of elaborate orchestration. His songs accompanied the narrative instead of distracting from it. “Main Hoon Yahan,” one of the tracks, enchanted listeners and was described as “being under a tree with a loved one in comfortable silence.”
The Hype That Wasn’t Loud, But Lasted
First Love was not promoted as a youthful spectacle prior to release. There was no aggressive marketing with huge posters or hashtags. Nevertheless, the teaser was a two-minute montage of stolen glances and laughter in libraries., alongside a very soft Trivedi score, it took the internet by storm. People commented with, “This feels real” and “Finally, a love story without filters.”
First Love showed social media driven audiences vulnerability, which they greatly missed. In a time of quick romances and ironic dating shows, the film was a handwritten note. When it was released on steaming services after its theatrical run, discussions in the social media sphere picked up again.
Fans started recounting their own “first love” stories, tagging the movie like it gave them the green light to remember.
What the Audience Saw and What They Missed
Many viewers regarded First Love as a simple nostalgic coming-of-age romance. But even beneath the surface, it included some cultural commentary. Aarushi’s doubt about pursuing her feelings was not just a matter of personal indecision. It was also about the Indian middle-class mentality, which still regards the imagination as a needless luxury. Karan’s problem of balancing passion and stability mirrors a generation’s cultural training of putting a price on dreams, and it was an insight to the Indian context that most people missed.
Even small details had significance. Aarushi’s unfinished bridge sketched memories of her emotional cartography, a symbol of her connecting desire and the fear of stepping too far. And when that bridge was finally completed in the last act, it was a metaphor for love not attained, but for acceptance.
One of the most understated performances came from Seema Pahwa as Aarushi’s mother. With so many years in theatre, and being a veteran actress, Seema brought a soft realism to the role, which was in danger of becoming a cliché. Her off-screen observations of Indian mothers currently living “between two worlds” — tradition and modernity — were manifested in her duality.
The World Behind the Camera
Many people don’t know that First Love was delayed because of budget issues. Nupur Asthana wanted to keep her creative vision intact and turned down bigger studios that wanted to “glam up” the film. She turned down the opportunity to make the film “glamorous,” and the film retained its honesty to an extent that it felt grounded — a slice of life rather than a spectacle.
Some scenes were shot guerrilla-style on real college campuses in Pune. Students there were part of the scene without realizing it. Ritvik once said that during an emotional scene at the campus gate, he actually broke down, and it was not a mechanical act. He was recalling a real school heartbreak. The director kept that take. That’s what makes First Love special — its emotions were not choreographed. They were real.
The Lasting Warmth
Even years after its premiere, First Love still finds new admirers, particularly among the younger demographic discovering it on OTT platforms. It’s the type of film that you come across late at night, settling down to watch with the lights dimmed and the pace of the narrative slowly drawing you in. It doesn’t shout its message, it hums it as sweetly as possible: that love, in all its forms — completed, lost, or still lingering — teaches us to see ourselves.
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