Photograph

Rafiq (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a struggling street photographer at Mumbai's Gateway of India, convinces a reclusive youngster Miloni (Sanya Malhotra) to pose for a picture. Their chance encounter leads to self-discovery and a fascinating tale of slow-burn romance.

The pacing is frustrating and needs a lot of patience but Batra's unique take on love, with shades of Basu Chatterjee's Chhoti Si Baat..

What does stand out is the brilliance of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He is the master of his craft and conveys unsaid emotions effortlessly. Sanya underplays a bit too much but gradually holds her own in front of an actor like Nawaz.

If you seek purpose or motivation behind someone's certain behaviour, you won't find it here so Photograph eventually struggles to keep you engaged,,However, if you appreciate ambiguity, the film leaves a lot to imagination and interpretation, which has its own charm. The open-ended climax in particular is cleverly done. It makes you ponder and crave for more.

Photograph isn't a perfect shot but it's intriguing and takes you back in time. Like love and life, it's uncertain and hopeful.

This is one of the few movies which will be with me for a loooong time. This movie leaves you speechless when it comes to all the sections of it whether it is story arc, acting by the person who has least amount of screen time, background music, use of Mumbai locations which are unseen by many non Mumbai people and use of silence when required. Many people will complain about the pace of the movie, it is may be because they are so much habituated to movies of so called super stars, so called imported actresses who can't even speak hindi, item numbers, stupid & unnecessary songs, exotic locations, that they can't find beauty in simplicity of this movie. If you talk about the pace of the film my defence would be it is just like old & matured wine which do not give you kick in first sip but you have to feel it, give it time to grab you very slooowly. If you respect it then it will give you magical moments which will be with you for very long time. The best part of the movie is its simplicity in terms of storyline & acting. Characters of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra are written/played so well, so imagine them to be someone next door to you. Ritesh Batra is once again able to do a good movie just like The Lunchbox. Hat's off to you guys.

After being impressed by Ritesh Batra's Lunchbox and his style of cinema, I knew that this man is going to have something unique in his every movie. The movie stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra and Farrukh Jaffar in major roles. I don't think that the casting could have been better. One thing about the cast though -I personally found Jim Sarbh's role a little insignificant for an acclaimed actor like him. Regarding characters, Nawaz was not disappointing with his acting and did what he always does, an above average justice to his character. I consider Miloni's (Sanya Malhotra) character to be the best written amongst all and also well executed by her. The one actor who took her character on another level only with her acting was Farrukh Jaffar. It was a treat to watch her. Until her, I could never believe someone acting beside Nawaz subjugating him. If there has to be a single reason to watch this movie, it is her acting and her comic timing and dialogue delivery. The story doesn't droop on a classic romance, instead shows a story between a struggling road-side photographer and a CA student from an upper-middle class Gujarati family, two completely different worlds. The story shows how sometimes people can want only so much from life and yet that can be completely different for different people. Ritesh Batra is known for developing characters that are relatable to a mass somehow, and this time too, he created such character, Miloni. She is a soft-spoken, a yes-girl who has no opinions of her own, who is pulled from her dream of becoming an actor and peer pressured into doing CA. A lot out there, right? I also liked how smartly Batra ended the movie. Ben Kutchins did a great job with his cinematography showing beautifully the slums and the fast-running city together. Some stills from the movie were really outstanding. In all, this movie is not a Masala Romantic, but is appealing in its own way. There can be only two reasons to not have liked this movie. One, somehow the detailings to the characters were incomplete and second, the movie was bit slow at a few places. Had it not been compensated by exquisite acting, the movie wouldn't have turned out to be the way it did. Otherwise, I would recommend this movie to every cinema lover who understands Batra's poetic and eccentric film-making skill.

PHOTOGRAPH REVIEW :-



The Lunchbox was a Gem, by the Director called Ritesh Batra and this tagline was enough to create humongous expectations from Photograph. Additionally cast names like Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Sanya Malhotra and Brilliant Trailer upraised the bar. But in a Film it misses something at the end, even if lives upto to the expectations throughout the narrative. However, Photograph is the Confirmation that Director Ritesh Batra is a Genius and he will never come up with mainstream product.

Photograph is a deep meaning tale which begins with the Photograph and then Flows like a stable River. In between many situational laughters, realistic humour and unusual screenplay keeps this one engaged. Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra are totally amazing as lead pair. Their Expression, thier accent, thier decency is surely gonna fetch them many accolades. Cinematography is pure realistic and smartly done job which can be noticed through angles, zoom ins and blur moments. Director Ritesh Batra brings another offbeat and Loveable film but he fails to bring the same convinction in the climax. But the good news is, he never loses the Quality, he keeps it intact for 110 minutes.

Deep meaning films are hard to digest for massy audience and some classy audience too doesn't really reach to the core. Photograph could be one of those film where the Final Impact is not that powerful. Little bit more detailing in the Cliamx and Photograph would have been a Classic. Unfortunately it misses the Big mark by short distance, still doesn't fail to give you experience of watching something unusual stuff. Overall, Photograph is another Deep and Genius film by Ritesh Batra, only 1 mistake doesn't make it bad or Average, it is still a Very Good Film by far.

RATING- 7/10*

The city's love affair with unusual encounters is an element that sets it apart, and having stayed in Mumbai for over two decades, like most other Mumbaikars, there exists a set of people, and stories, and conversations that I keep going back to.

To story of Photograph focuses on one such peculiar encounter that eventually translates into an unexpected connection. Rafique and Miloni meet by chance, and a product of that moment gives them disparate reasons to meet again. The screenplay convincingly lets the viewers comprehend the circumstances the protagonists are accustomed to through little, insignificant instances; Ritesh Batra's tendency to not be too loud and lucid replenishes the cinematic narration with a pinch of exquisiteness. The role of supporting characters is vital, because it is their expectations that largely dictate the protaganists' actions. To argue that the plot is unrealistic may not be entirely authentic, especially because almost every decision that Rafique and Miloni resort to is bolstered by the desire to divert from what is usual, to avoid what is mundane. However, if the writer compulsorily asks me to point out an element that is unrealistic, I would probably tell him that it is impossible for a CA Inter student to take out time for such lengthy hangouts.

The entire cast is spectacular. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a natural, and it is phenomenal to witness him stick to his character throughout the run-time. Sanya Malhotra wonderfully portrays the introverted Miloni, who also harbors a quotient of curiosity. Farrukh Jafar as Dadi, and Geetanjali Kulkarni as Rampyari put up brilliant performances. Saharsh Shukla and Sachin Khedekar are impressive as well. Vijay Raaz, in an unpredictable role, is refreshing as ever. Jim Sarbh is decent. Ritesh Batra, who delivers a convincing comeback, is an artist that the industry must be proud of.

Photograph is a film that thrives on silences, and it is beautiful to acknowledge how, at times, they overcompensate for the absence of words.