Luca

Luca is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Arun Bose and produced by Linto Thomas and Prince Hussain under the studio Stories & Thoughts Productions. The film is co-written by Mridul George and stars Tovino Thomas and Ahaana Krishna in lead roles. Debutantes Nimish Ravi and Nikhil Venu handles the cinematography and editing departments respectively. Sooraj S. Kurup is the music director. Plot The film starts off with an unexpected event that sets in motion an investigation by police officer Akbar. A diary that Akbar reads takes the audience through the lives of Luca and Niharika, with the diary playing the role of a storyteller. Luca is a talented scrap artist with a very small circle of friends. Luca does not know how to control his anger and he expresses them in violent streaks when something irritates him. The film is set against the backdrop of Kochi Biennale and Luca locks horns with Niharika when she passes simple remarks about his installation. She later seeks his forgiveness and moves into his home as a paying guest and from there develops a very close relationship and an encompassing love. He had mental problems after his mother's passing away and still has fear of anything that is related to death (Necrophobia), and partly arts were a distraction from these aspects. Niharika after knowing this takes on the role of a calming figure for him when he simmers with anger and becomes his guiding strength ready to brave every storm that threatens them to any ‘end’. Whenever Luca has panic attacks about death-related matters, Niharika becomes his comfort. Niharika was abused in her childhood by a close relative and that has left a permanent emotional scar. Luca becomes the loving force that fills her emptiness. Their dreamy world shatters when Luca is diagnosed with stage four cancer. After coming to know this Luca's and Niharika relationship get strained as Luca is being more worried about his death and Niharika is breaking down to see his condition which affects him more by seeing her tears. So two weeks before his demise, Luca send Niharika to Bangalore, her home town. During investigation it becomes known that Niharika killed herself through oral poisoning a week before Luca's death and sent a diary to Luca before her last breath, which Akbar was reading. Akbar, going through the chain of events in Luca's and Niha's begone lives, begins to be affected.