- By Chetan Nadiger
Film: Photo
Producer: Masari Talkies
Director: Utsav Gonwar
Starring: Mahadev hadapad, Sandhya Arakere, Veeresh Gonwar, Jahangeer MS and others
While, most of the well to do found various ways to entertain themselves at home during the lockdown which rocked the whole world a few years back, the poor particularly the migrant found it difficult to survive. This week’s release ‘Photo’ is one such survival story.
The story of ‘Photo’ takes place a few days before the Indian Government declared a lockdown in an effort to stop the deadly Corona Virus from spreading in March 2020. The story begins with a little child called Durgya (Veeresh Gonwar) who wants to travel from North Karnataka to Bengaluru City so that he can take his picture in front of Vidhana Soudha and meet his favourite icon D Boss.
As the schools are closed, Durgya persuades his mother to allow him to visit his father Gynappa (Mahadev Hadapad) who is working as a construction worker in Bengaluru.
When Durgya lands in Bengaluru, the actual lockdown starts. With no work, Gyanappa decides to go back to his native place. What happens to Durgya’s yearning for a photo? And will the father and son succeed in returning back to their native? Forms the chilling, dark episode from a bygone era.
Debutant director Utsav Gonwar, portrays a story in multiple dimensions. Although there were many heroic episodes where men and women went above and beyond to cope up with the situation, there were also some inhumane acts and ‘Photo’ captures both well.
The way the camera captures and depicts the emotions of both father and son is commendable. The images, the silence and the use of minimal expressions to perfection make the story connect with the audience.
Veeresh Gonwar and Mahadev Hadapad give almost perfect performances. Both of them are not only very natural, but disturb the audience with their performances. Sandhya Arakere, Jahangeer M S have also done a commendable job. Dinesh Divakaran’s cinematography should be highly applauded.
In addition to putting mankind to the test, the COVID-19 also helped us realize how valuable life is and how it should never be taken for granted. Although everything has returned to normal, Photo shows us some disturbing pictures that serve as a reminder of the desperate situations that many unfortunate individuals found themselves in during their darkest hours.
‘Photo’ is a salute to all the unsung heroes who gave their lives trying to save many lives in such difficult times. Don’t miss this film.
