Directed by Aditya Rathi, Photo Prem was released on Amazon Prime on 7 May 2021. The Marathi film features Neena Kulkarni, Amita Khopkar and Sameer Dharamadhikari. Photo Prem is produced by Everest Entertainment.

The film revolves around a camera conscious lady, Sunanda, known as Maae by the youngsters of her colony. One day, a lady who is Sunanda’s acquaintance dies of a heart attack. But, there is no recent picture of her to keep in her honour. After seeing this, Maae fears that after she dies, no one will remember her if there is no picture of her. She applies face packs, looks at other people’s pictures and struggles in front of the camera for a good picture. She starts checking obituaries in newspapers to see how people look in their photographs. She is in dire need of a good picture. But, Maae always lets her insecurities get in the way of her wish to get a decent photograph clicked.

Photo Prem conveys to us the pressure that an individual goes through in not only feeling comfortable in their own skins but also in appreciating themselves in photographs. The film has brought up a subject that many people can relate to, as most of us are never satisfied by how we look and are afraid to get in front of a camera. This is especially true in today’s social media obsessed world where everyone is judging each other constantly based on how people look. But, once we leave the world behind, the picture is just a signifier of our face. What we leave behind are memories of actions that impacted other people - our kindness, resilience and love. We are remembered in thoughts, not in visuals.

The film is a mixture of humour, drama and the naivete of an innocent old lady. Will Maae succeed in getting a good photograph of herself or will her lack of self confidence take over and shatter her dream to get a decent picture clicked?

Photo Prem is a movie with fewer dialogues, but filled with emotions of self acceptance. Neena Kulkarni's performance in the role of Maaee is admirable. The film is worth the watch.

Rating 3.8/5