DEVANAND

Born: September 26,1923

Died: December 3,2011

NEENA GUPTA

 

PHOTOGRAPH - MOVIE (2019)

 Photograph (2019) tells a quiet, understated story about Rafi, a struggling photographer at the Gateway of India, and Miloni, a middle-class girl visiting the city with her family. Their lives intersect when Rafi clicks her photograph, but she leaves without paying or collecting it. Determined to return what is rightfully hers, Rafi eventually tracks her down and hands over the photograph.

As they begin to meet occasionally, Rafi persuades Miloni to pretend to be his girlfriend in front of his grandmother, who is eager to see her grandson married. What begins as a harmless deception slowly evolves into a subdued emotional bond between two deeply introverted individuals.

The film unfolds at a very slow pace and concludes without a clear resolution, leaving the audience uncertain about the characters’ future. While the realism is evident, the storytelling often feels stretched and repetitive, resulting in a sense of monotony.

A particularly puzzling aspect is Miloni’s character arc. As a reserved yet ambitious young woman pursuing a professional accounting career with a promising future, her emotional inclination toward Rafi—a man with limited means and uncertain prospects—remains insufficiently explored. Both protagonists speak very little, and while silence is clearly a narrative choice, it sometimes replaces depth rather than enhancing it.

Overall, Photograph strives for subtlety and realism but falls short in maintaining narrative engagement. Despite its sincerity, the film’s dragging pace and lack of a definitive conclusion leave the viewer questioning the purpose and payoff of its journey.