Amazon Studios, Filmscience, The Match Factory, Poetic License, KNM Production and Skywalk Films’ Photograph (UA) is the story of an unusual friendship.
Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a lower middle-class Muslim man who lives in Bombay and works as a photographer at Gateway Of India, clicking pictures of tourists and others visiting the landmark place. One day, he asks a local Bombay girl, Miloni (Sanya Malhotra), if she would like to be photographed. Miloni agrees, he clicks her pictures and hands her a printout but she disappears in the crowd without making the payment. Rafi has her other pictures with him. Miloni is a Gujarati girl who is a CA Foundation topper and who is now studying for Inter CA.
Back home, Rafi gets the news from his friends with whom he shares the room, and other acquaintances that his grandmother at his native place, has stopped taking her medicines, vowing to not restart till Rafi gets married. In fact, she is looking for a prospective bride for Rafi in all earnestness. Since Rafi is in no mood to marry just as yet, he writes a letter to his grandma, telling her that he is in love with a girl in Bombay. To substantiate his lie, he sends her Miloni’s picture and because he doesn’t know her real name, he tells his grandmother that her name is Noorie.
The excited grandma loses no time in announcing her arrival to Bombay. Quite by chance, Rafi bumps into Miloni and seizes the opportunity to request her to meet his grandmother when she arrives, and to pretend to be his girlfriend, Noorie. Miloni agrees, if only because she feels like helping Rafi. One meeting of Miloni alias Noorie with the grandma (Farrukh Jaffer) leads to one more and then yet another. Rafi’s grandmom approves of Noorie alias Miloni, and she believes the story that Noorie is a Muslim girl who has lost her parents and sister. Meanwhile, Rafi and Miloni keep meeting as they enjoy each other’s company.
Does the unlikely friendship between a streetside photographer and a well-to-do intelligent CA student turn into love and romance? Does Rafi’s grandmother get to know the truth?
Ritesh Batra has penned an unusual story and laced it with humour. However, the humour, which is cutely silly at times and rather intelligent at other times, would appeal to only a section of the elite audience. His screenplay is slow-paced and in spite of being humour-laden, it tests the patience of even the elite viewers. As for the masses and family audiences, they’d not be able to even appreciate most of the humour and hence dislike it, what to talk of the slow pace. The screenplay is also a bit depressing if only because both the lead characters are almost always shown to be sad and depressed. While Rafi’s sad state of mind is understandable (he belongs to a lower middle-class family and is struggling to make a living) and has also been explained in the end (he has to repay a loan), what is not comprehensible is Miloni’s not-happy state of mind. She’s a topper, she has a happy family, then what’s her problem in life? Why can’t she just smile and laugh like a normal girl her age and in such a happy space? There is simply no explanation offered in the screenplay, making the viewers wonder what’s wrong. The open ending of the drama makes the film even more elitist in appeal. Ritesh Batra’s dialogues are very realistic.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is fantastic as the photographer. He underplays his character so beautifully that one can’t help but marvel at his performance. Sanya Malhotra is outstanding as Miloni/Noorie. She has very limited dialogues to utter but she uses her facial expressions and body language to convey a lot. She is indeed a reservoir of talent. Farrukh Jaffer is terrific as Rafi’s outspoken grandmother. Geetanjali Kulkarni makes her presence felt as Miloni’s house help, Ram Pyari. Akash Sinha is natural to the core as Rafi’s photographer-friend. Saharsh Kumar Shukla and Abdul Quadir Amin lend able support. Sachin Khedekar and Lubna Salim are adequate as Miloni’s parents. Jim Sarbh is entertaining as Miloni’s teacher. Vijay Raaz leaves a fine impression in a tiny role as Tiwariji. Virendra Saxena and the others provide decent support.
Ritesh Batra’s direction is suitably sensitive but, like the script, it will appeal only to the gentry. Peter Raeburn’s background music is alright. Cinematography (by Ben Kutchins and Timothy Gillis) is good. Shruti Gupte’s production designing is very nice. John F. Lyons’ editing is sharp. It often appears abrupt but that’s his style.
On the whole, Photograph is too elitist in appeal and hence will do some business only in high-end multiplexes of a few big cities. Overall, it will flop.
Released on 15-3-’19 at Regal (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru AA Films. Publicity & opening: poor. …….Also released all over. Opening was weak everywhere.