7 Days Review – How Long Does Love Take?

Geraldine Viswanathan and Karan Soni in 7 DAYS - Photo courtesy of The Duplass Brothers
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A charming romantic comedy from physician/filmmaker/screenwriter/director Roshan Sethi, 7 DAYS delves into the secrets and mysteries of love – as love buts heads with cultural expectations. Rita and Ravi are both single, much to the chagrin of their old-fashioned Indian moms, who long for grandchildren and just can’t understand why their kids, born in the U.S., aren’t moving this relationship thing along the way everybody does in India, where families set up meets and began wedding plans at the same time.

Geraldine Viswanathan and Karan Soni – Photo courtesy of The Duplass Brothers

So each potential granny decides to take matters in her own hands by pre-arranging a date between – you guessed it – Rita (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Ravi (Karan Soni, who also doubles as co-writer of the script). With the utmost respect for their mothers which this “matching” situation demands – but very little enthusiasm – the two decide to meet and try their best to tolerate each other for a few hours.

Geraldine Viswanathan – Photo courtesy of The Duplass Brothers

The problem? Ravi is an ultra-conservative man who wants his future wife to be quiet, a good housekeeper, a great vegetarian cook, and definitely a teetotaler. Unfortunately for her mother’s dreams, Rita is anything but. Although she tries her best to be the perfect docile Indian woman for her mother’s sake – at least for a few hours – she often breaks the set-in-concrete rules the rest of the time. What’s wrong with having a beer now and then – and why should her home look like something out of Architectural Digest? And what’s wrong with Door Dash? Or eating meat, for heaven’s sake? And how about Rita’s married boyfriend?

Karan Soni – Photo courtesy of The Duplass Brothers

But just as the doomed first meeting is coming to a close, the unexpected happens. Ravi finds himself without transportation, and he must spend the night at Rita’s place. And then another night – and then another. In this time of COVID quarantines, Fate seems to be conspiring against them.

Geraldine Viswanathan and Karan Soni – Photo courtesy of The Duplass Brothers

An official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021, 7 DAYS was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Helmed with a sure hand, the multi-talented Sethi makes his directorial debut with the film. He is graced with two delightful actors who are utterly believable as the mismatched couple trying desperately to please their pushy, well-meaning mothers. In a clever introduction and denouement, four Indian couples who were matched up and almost immediately found themselves at the altar talk about their married lives. How knowing each other for months or even years before their marriage may not have changed the way things worked out.

For aficionados of unique and fascinating romantic comedy with strong cultural overtones, 7 DAYS will prove entertaining, amusing, and fun – and it’s guaranteed that you’ll leave the film with a big “feel-good” smile on your face. 7 DAYS opens on March 25, 2022.

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