Why this Bollywood film on middle-age love is unusual

A recent Bollywood film about a middle-aged husband trying to woo his unhappy wife drew attention for its subject. The BBC's Vandana Vijay writes about what makes the plot so unusual.

The movie, titled Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain (In English, it's I love you) revolves around what many would consider a conventional Indian marriage - a relationship that is often devoid of any outward expressions of affection.

In the film, Yashwant Batra, who works for the postal department and Kiran, his stay-at-home wife, have been married for more than 25 years. They live in Varanasi, an ancient, bustling town on the banks of the Ganges river in northern India.

Actor Sanjay Mishra plays the role of Batra, a gruff, patriarchal husband, who is satisfied with his marriage and oblivious to his wife's unhappiness. Ekavali Khanna is cast as his spirited wife, Kiran, who wants more from their marriage and doesn't shy away from speaking her mind.

It's an atypical love story by Indian standards. Popular films across the country, Bollywood or otherwise, almost exclusively portray young love and their plots rarely explore life after marriage.

Batra's attitude is best summed up in his own words: "She manages the house and I go to work. This is called marriage."

In another scene, he thunders that he is providing for his wife and daughter - what else does Kiran expect from him? She tells him that he was merely fulfilling a domestic responsibility. What she truly needs is love, not the kind that involves chocolates and roses but a hug, a sign of affection or even a few words of praise.

"So what if we are in our 50s":[]}