Photo-Prem movie review: Neena Kulkarni's film is a bittersweet take on how to leave a legacy behind

Language: Marathi, Hindi “Everyone gather around! C’mon smile, say cheese, I need to take a photo!” These very words make my blood run cold every time and springs my brain into action, looking for an excuse to avoid the situation. Hence, when Maee (Neena Kulkarni), in Photo-Prem, expresses hesitation on being photographed, I could only nod my head in silence, and scream inwards, “I get it, girl!” But Maee is no Gen-Z like me. She belongs to the sepia-tinted, classics film camera era. While I pretty much got used to the world of aesthetically clicked candids and selfies, Maee still struggles. She gets anxious, makes a fuss every time someone furnishes a camera to snap, and even shuns from her own daughter’s wedding to escape the photographer’s eye. However, things go for a toss when Maee attends a friend’s funeral ceremony. Bewildered to find a childhood picture hung on the wall for remembrance, she begins introspecting. Maee is fearful of her own future: what if she too is remembered like this after she passes away? How will her future generations identify her? What if everyone forgets about her existence? And most importantly, what legacy will she leave behind?  And so her search to click that perfect snap begins. But, only if it was that easy for photophobic Maee. She rummages through her old photo albums and revisits the past to find that one perfect photo. In her harmless exploration, she visits random funeral ceremonies, reads up obituaries, and even pays a visit to the local photo studio to understand the process of being clicked. Undertaking help from her house help and a young neighbourhood kid, Maee enlists the help of webcam technology. She attempts several poses, with props, with make-up, even the famous wide-open arms Shah Rukh Khan pose. Maee leaves no stone unturned. [caption id=“attachment_9598321” align=“alignnone” width=“639”] Neena Kulkarni in Photo-Prem[/caption] Photo-Prem is endearing enough to capture one into Maee’s world, for one could sympathise with her lack of photogenic skills. However, it falls flat when it fails to justify Maee’s sudden obsession with being photographed. It spent too long to find that one perfect click, that somewhere the entire purpose felt lost. The writing feels patchy, with multiple storylines tugging along to lift up Maee’s fixation. And yet, when the justification rolls along, it feels late and bittersweet. The most wonderful parts of the film are Maee’s internal monologues. It is when you do not see her as the naïve housewife, scampering around her husband and daughter’s wishes — she is funny, sarcastic, and sometimes even spews dark humour. Kulkarni as Maee is outstanding, she embodies her anxieties and camera-consciousness to the perfect form, but also sheds the weight when times arise to carry agency. I, personally, root for the women of Photo-Prem. Chaitrali Rode as the house help is sharp-tongued, witty, and non-judgemental when it comes Maee’s fear of cameras, unlike her family members. The film takes an emotional turn when Amita Khopkar’s Akka goes through a personal tragedy only to realise Maee’s urge to find the perfect photo. Banking onto Maee’s words to find ‘one’s identity in a good photo’, Akka too rummages through a photo album, picks a funeral picture for herself, hence uplifting Maee’s passion even more.Photo-Prem is a funny, quintessential take on what we leave behind for memories or legacy, but is unfortunately quick to lose potential with half-baked writing and even a slower pace. Photo-Prem is streaming on Amazon Prime Video India. Rating: ***