'Photo' movie review: A powerful indictment of lockdown mismanagement

The longing, anguish and desolation of the characters are portrayed in a slow narrative with long aerial shots. The cinematography by Dinesh Divakaran is admirable in 'Photo'.

The Covid 19 lockdowns created new perspectives of the world for many. Some got closer to their families — cooking, eating and watching movies together. Others saw their families being torn apart. Photo follows the story of a family devastated by the insensitive decisions taken by our political leaders.

Directed by debutant Utsav Gonwar, Photo is a political take on what migrant workers witnessed during the pandemic. Anecdotal accounts abound, but the government has maintained no records of citizens who died on the walk back to their villages and hometowns. The pandemic claimed about five lakh lives in India.

Durgya (Veeresh Gonwar), a schoolboy hailing from a village in north Karnataka, comes to Bengaluru where his father (Mahadev Hadapad) works as a daily-wage earner. He dreams of being photographed against the Vidhana Soudha. He is waiting impatiently for his father’s day off when his dream is rudely cut short by the announcement of a nationwide lockdown.

The boy and his father try to return to their village, hundreds of miles away from Bengaluru. But how do they get there with no transport? ‘Photo’ poignantly captures the hurdles and the hardships they face along the journey.

For Durgya, the idea of getting photographed at the Vidhana Soudha is a matter of pride. Utsav intelligently places the state secretariat at the centre of his story, and weaves a narrative around the seat of power. The child looks up to the Vidhana Soudha, but ironically falls victim to decisions taken there. The poignant story shows how little the system cares for the underprivileged, and how it crushes their aspirations.

Durgya (Veeresh Gonwar) and his father (Mahadev Hadpad) walk back home in a still from the film. 

The film begins with a simple dream. But as the story unfolds, the harsh realities confronted by migrant workers come to the fore. The film questions the privilege of those who enjoyed the lockdowns in comfort. While thousands of people walked home, the more privileged experimented with exotic cuisines and banged plates and spoons at the prime minister’s behest.

It is commendable that the young director Utsav documents, in his first film, the tragic consequences of lockdown mismanagement. The longing, anguish and desolation of the characters are portrayed in a slow narrative with long aerial shots. The cinematography by Dinesh Divakaran is admirable. The frames tell so much — the helplessness of the father, the torment experienced by the mother, and the slow crumbling of the child’s dream. The actors portray their roles convincingly.

Photo is a moving reminder of the dark days of the pandemic.