Frame rog: A curious obsession with photos

Photo Prem (Marathi)
Amazon Prime
Director: Aditya Rathi and Gayatri Patil
Cast: Neena Kulkarni, Amita Khopkar, Vikas Hande and Gitanjali Kambli.

The film begins with a photoshoot. Sunanda (Neena Kulkarni), who is at her daughter’s wedding, is camera-shy.

When she and her husband Kulkarni (Vikas Hande) visit a dead woman’s family, she witnesses the confusion over finding a photograph of the deceased. She revisits the house and is bewildered to find a childhood picture of the woman at the remembrance, and becomes obsessed with commemorative photos and obituaries.

She attends many funeral and remembrance ceremonies to understand the importance of a good photograph. She then tries to figure out a way to get a good photograph clicked, but her inhibitions prevent her from walking into a studio.

Neena does justice to her role as a wife, mother, and someone trying to face her fears. Her monologues are interesting and intriguing. Amita Khopkar, as Akka, and the supporting actors fit nicely. Gitanjali Kambli is convincing as a gossipy woman obsessed with Solapur.

The writer has chosen everyday moments to depict humour. The clean, simple and funny lines are the highlight in the slow-paced ‘Photo Prem’. The film, screened at the Mumbai Film Festival, was nominated for the Best Marathi film award at the Pune International Film festival.