Photograph review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra’s endearing chemistry makes it a must-watch

If you watched Ritesh Batra’s Lunch Box and fell in love with the film like most of us did, then the first question on your mind would be: ‘Is Photograph as good as Lunch Box or is it better or worse?’ Well, the film certainly carries the filmmaker’s unmistakable style. It’s again a story of hope, longing and love seeped in realism and trapped in a cacophony of urban living. As for the answer to the above question… well, read on.

What Photograph is all about? Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and Milonee (Sanya Malhotra) belong to two completely different worlds – culturally as well as economically. The differences are too stark and they are effectively highlighted as the two go about their daily living almost resigned to the drudgery of their mundane lives. Rafi is a street photographer trying to make ends meet clicking people at Gateway of India and is living under the burden of a debt his late father had taken back home in the village. Trying to pay back that debt, he diligently sends all his earnings to his grandmother in the village. An academically brilliant Milonee, on the other hand, is shown to have given up all her personal pursuits and dreams – including that of becoming an actress – in trying to live up to the expectations of her parents. Having topped her CA foundation – her face even adorns the advertising hoardings of the classes she attends – she is preparing for her CA inter. A chance meeting with each other at the Gateway of India, when Rafi clicks a photograph of Milonee brings about a gradual change in their own lives. Frustrated and pressured by his grandmother to get married, he sends her Milonee’s photograph and lies about her being his fiancée and names her Noorie. The two shy strangers in trying to live up to that lie unexpectedly find happiness and reasons to look forward to each day.

Yay: Ritesh Batra as a director creates the two worlds very realistically. The claustrophobic room with a loud whirring fan where Nawaz resides with almost five other room-mates to the room where Milonee studies every night, and their cab travels – every frame transports you to their world. The cinematography is remarkable and the music is apt. The filmmaker’s eye for detail when it comes to bringing about the nuances of Rafi and Milonee’s budding romance is commendable. The supporting cast is impressive in every way.

Nawazuddin is one brilliant actor who is known to ace the game when it comes to showcasing his acting chops and it’s no different here. He makes Rafi his own so beautifully that you forget the actor behind the character. And complementing him perfectly is Sanya. The screen-firebrand surprises you with her shy demeanour and together the unlikely pair makes for the most endearing scenes onscreen. Sanya brings out the vulnerability of Milonee like a seasoned actress, although this was shot as her second film. Whether it is rendering onscreen a lack of choice when it comes to choosing even the colours of her own clothes or seeking simple joys with Rafi, Sanya lets her eyes and expressions do all the talking. Her equation with the domestic help, Rampyari – played impressively by Geetanjali Kulkarni – is beautifully presented.

The director taps into Rafi and Milonee’s world of unspoken relationship with confidence and brings out a heart-breaking story of longing, trust and glimpses of what is undeclared love. So, while Milonee is apprehensive about going to a coffee shop with her professor, she comfortably accompanies Rafi to his dingy one-room house without fear or hesitation. Their equation with the age-and-experience-wisened daadi with her – maa ka dil hai beta – is delightful too as is Rafi’s camaraderie with his room-mates. There are scenes that bring about laughter and provide enough light moments to balance the melancholic ache between the lead pair.

Nay: The pace is just too slow and drags at times. Unless you have a taste and passion of a cinema –connoisseur, you may find it to be a lengthy watch. The climax is ambiguous and certainly not one would expect. But if you follow the dialogue right before, it will leave you on an optimistic note depending on how you look at it. The detailed frames of realism may also not work for many.

CineBlitz verdict: Ritesh Batra’s Photograph is endearing and engaging both. While the climax may be a bit of let-down for the audience used to a decisive ending, there is a lot to be read between the lines of what’s said and lot more where it is unsaid. The chemistry between Nawaz and Sanya is what makes it a must-watch for the romance-buffs. It hooks you right from the word ‘go’ and not once do the actors step out of the character. This holds true even for the supporting cast. So, is Photograph better than Lunch Box? No, but the romantic-drama in itself is a different flavour that you may relish.

Rating: 3.5 stars