Farrokh Jaffer, Sanya Malhotra and Nawaz Weave Cinema Extraordinaire Under The Nostalgic Ritesh Batra Umbrella

Film: Photograph

Actors: Sanya Malhotra, Nawazuddin Siddique, Farrokh Jaffer

Director: Ritesh Batra

3.5 Out Of 5 Stars

My Verdict: Had I been A Filmmaker, I Would Have Wished To Make Such Cinema, Adept And Restrained; Watch It Feel It

A melange of poetry, rhapsody and impressionistic prose is what Ritesh Batra’s Photograph is. The quietude and the rueful emotionalism is the same as that of his previous work. Batra’s mis-en-scene remains consistent with the bland colour palette and the smudged edges of reality of the characters’ perception of events and the choosing points of view that lie outside the norm.

An unconventional diversion and the first impressions formed thereon, gradually build up into this warm May-December romance between a street photographer and a reticent CA student. The bottled up class conflicts and complex emotions in the characters from the different societal strata are all there but they are somewhere stuffed in the background and in the foreground we are spectators to this off beat pair meandering at times aimlessly on the sidewalks of the busy Mumbai streets.

The Gujju lass Miloni played wonderfully by Sanya Malhotra speaks through her silent glances and her wry smile. Nawaz’s Rafiq act is equally restrained – One scene worth dissecting is when Rafiq, walks up to a general store and tells the shopkeeper “Ek Blade De Do, Ek Saabun De Do, aur Haa Ek kangi Bhi De Do” ( Give me a blade, a soap and I’ll take one comb as well) This goes in to portray the bare necessities of a man who stays in a makeshift dwelling, who can barely make his ends meet, one who is not bothered about brands and the fancies of life and the one who is seen sweating it out under the sun unfazed about the tan. The Mumbaikar we meet day in and day out! Then there is the scene when Miloni’s professor shows up as a mild molester, impeded by Rafiq. Inside the car, he murmurs to himself, “Man To Kiya, Bahar Nikal Ke... Par Kuch Nahi Kar Paaye.” ( I felt like, getting out of the cab and... but I could do nothing.)

The cherry on the cake was the epitome of prejudices laden Dadi played with an élan by actress Farrokh Jaffer. Throughout the almost silent screenplay, her jarring statements made people smirk, grin, laugh with sheer joy and got them bored out of breath too.

The song Aaja Re from the film Noorie and Tumne Mujhe Dekha Hokar Meherbaan from the film Teesri Manzil keep coming throughout the narrative that highlights the inter-personal communication the psychologies have. The most apparent leitmotifs come in the form of verbal dialogues mouthed by Dadi - “Maa Ka Dil Hai Beta and “Phir woh Tirchi Muskaan” and not to forget the ever-present Campa-Cola (that is so old-Bombay) which brings the story to an end and how!

The cinematography by Tom Gillis and Ben Kutchins brings out Bombay, in it’s authentic old flavour and that’s the beauty of the film, the editing by Chris Couplans is also noteworthy in this respect especially because the at times free flowing and at times jarring effect that was so much required for the film to be what it is. The background music or the lack of it by bizzare rituals also adds an extra mark!

Finally, when Rafiq says “Har Film Ki Kahani Mein Aisa Hi To Hota Hai”, we are all left to wonder, whether this film will have a similar ending or not!

All in all, an extraordinary film that exudes a deluge of emotions and Endearment.