‘Photograph’ Movie Review: An out of focus experiment that is slower than a snail

Directed By: Ritesh Batra
Produced By: Ritesh Batra, Ronnie Screwvala, Viola Fügen, Neil Kopp, Michel Merkt, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani, Michael Weber
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 2/5

After ‘The Lunchbox’, expectations were sky high from this film but alas, this photograph fails to speak a thousand words. One of the things that irked me the most was Miloni’s character (Sanya Malhotra) that is without any depth or motivation. Why does she choose to pose as Rafi’s (Nawazuddin) wife-to-be is beyond me, and what’s pissing off is that there is no attempt made by the director (or the screenwriter) to make her actions seem convincing. In fact, the makers are audacious enough to skip the most crucial conversation that takes place between Rafi and Miloni.

That said, the movie is not without its positives. The cinematography, the background score and the performances are good, but a great landscape never makes a great photograph. There is hardly any emotion that the film manages to invoke and you are left with a question – “What made ‘The Lunchbox’s director choose this subject for his second film?”

Even the dialogues of the film are shoddily written. For most of the movie, Sanya Malhotra wears a blank expression and takes a few seconds before responding to people. Nawazuddin too seems lacking in confidence (his character is written that way, this is not a note on his acting prowess), and the few exchanges between them are devoid of humour or romance.

Final verdict:

‘Photograph’ is exactly the sort of film that gives art house cinema a bad reputation. It’s slow, it’s difficult to understand and it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. Unless you’re a die-hard Nawaz fan, avoid this film.

Watch trailer: