The concepts of death and smile represent two extreme situations in our lives and hence it is tough to assume them together in a plot talking about senior citizens in particular. Surprisingly, Photo Prem not only incorporates them in its innovative storyline, but also comes up as a beautiful, light-hearted film capable of lifting your spirits in these tough times.
It’s a known fact that we don’t like to talk about death because of our fears. But Maee [Neena Kulkarni], the protagonist in the film, fearlessly thinks about it and is worried about which photograph of her the family will choose to hang on the wall after she is gone. As a camera-shy person, she doesn't have a decent photograph in the family albums and thus decides to get one before she dies, leaving a loving memory for all as a smiling picture.
Presenting a fresh perspective, Photo Prem directed by Gayatri Patil and Aditya Rathi is funny, sarcastic and enlightening, revolving around the subject of death. But at the same time, it also falls short of being a great film as the screenplay spends too much time in the middle on all similar sequences. Besides, it also cautiously keeps avoiding a dark tone in order to be light and humorous, which at times looks superficial.
Nevertheless, here is a film that dares to try the impossible and thus deserves to be seen, especially for its concept, and Neena Kulkarni and her monologues, which bring a big smile to our faces.
Title: Photo Prem (Marathi)
Cast: Neena Kulkarni, Sameer Dharmadhikari,
and more
Director: Gayatri Patil and Aditya Rathi
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Rating: 3.5 stars
