If Ligy Pullappally errors as a first-time director, then she faults on the side of over-punctuating her film with symbolism.

The story of Kiran and Delilah and their impermissible relationship begins with the fluttering ascension of a butterfly and the slow descent of a leaf.

The two young girls meet in “The Journey” (“Sancharram”) just after Kiran has arrived in Kerala. They take to each other instantly.

Cutting forward many years, the movie spends the majority of its time building tension as the two girls hesitate toward a sexual awakening.

Starting with the simple prick of a thorn to pierce Delilah’s ear, the film hits its symbolic stride. A symbolic act of deflowering quickly transforms a plutonic relationship into one of bashful flirting.

As their affection for one another turns to passion, Kiran and Delilah’s troubles unfurl tenfold when the relationship is exposed. Their dreams of romance are shattered by the intolerance of both their families and culture. More interestingly, their lives are affected by their divergent responses. Each girl chooses a different path, but both lead to despair.

The time-tested storyline of outlawed romance brought to demise by social boundaries serves first-time film director Ligy Pullappally well. It’s “Romeo and Juliet” with a pinch of “Cyrano de Bergerac” in India — with lesbian lovers. It is a classic tale waiting like a mannequin, asking to be dressed by Pullappally. Using the charm and magic of Pullappally’s fertile native land, she decorates her film with a fairy tale touch that mimics the young girls’ idyllic notions of love (idyllic, but not ignorant).

Kiran is not oblivious to the social constraints placed upon her love for another woman. Her reading of a particularly important poetry lesson expresses her knowledge of the “abject loneliness of being in love.” Sadly, this mature handling of love does not carry over to the film itself.

Originally a lawyer from Chicago, Pullappally says she was inspired to make this film after receiving an e-mail about the suicide of a college-aged lesbian from her home of Kerala.

Pullappally’s decision to return home and take up filmmaking allowed her the opportunity to address women and social issues in her homeland. Address them she does, but in an exaggerated manner.

If Ligy Pullappally errors as a first-time director, then she faults on the side of over-punctuating her film with symbolism.

Everything in “The Journey” reads like a signpost. With every item serving as a symbol, Pullappally’s story grows didactic.

Most tiring of all is a glass bangle, given from one girl to the other — only to be shattered by a disapproving parent. This one symbol is too strong for the film, but it should stand as a symbol for future filmmakers.

Films should be delicate. Running overt symbolism through them is as dangerous as letting a bull loose in a china shop.

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