A look back at the dark time
It is evident that people have already forgotten the pandemic , and any film on the consequences of the global health crisis must be extra special to pique their curiosity. Utsav Gonwar’s Photo passes this tough test as it is a hardhitting reminder of our dark times, especially for the urban audiences, who seem to have no clue about what people from underprivileged disadvantaged backgrounds faced during the pandemic.
Set in Raichuru, Photo begins with a boy’s dream. Durgya (Veeresh Gonwar) is in awe of Vidhana Soudha. People love taking photos in front of this majestic building, which is also a famous landmark in Bengaluru. Durgya sees Vidhana Soudha’s picture in his neighbour’s house and his classroom and falls in love with it. He senses a chance to fulfil his dream when his school closes down for 15 days during COVID19.
Durgya convinces his mother (Sandhya Arakere) to send him to Bengaluru, where his father (Mahadev Adapa) works as a construction worker. On the day he steps out with his father to visit Vidhana Soudha , Durgya’s hopes come crashing down when the government announces a curfew to curb the spread of the virus. A couple of days later, the fatherson duo’s future looks uncertain, following the prime minister’s announcement of a threeweek lockdown.
The camera zooms into the drawing of Vidhana Soudha in Durgya’s classroom, which has the line “Government’s work is
God’s work” written next to the picture. With his debut film, Utsav asks this bold question: what happens when Gods who are supposed to be the saviours turn a blind eye to the plight of the poor? Photo is a rare Kannada film in recent times that is bravely political. It questions the system of a grave situation and reflects the atrocities faced by poor migrants who walked hundreds of kilometers to return to their home town.
The migrants struggled to get even basic facilities. With the duo finding it hard to locate a toilet or a place to sleep, Durgya and his father’s long journey depicts a harrowing situation.
The humour in Photo comes from the director’s sarcastic dig at some of the government’s instructions. Durgya’s father looks in bewilderment when he sees people on the road banging plates and chanting, “Go corona, go.” The day after, when another daily wage worker asks, “Can a procession kill the virus,” it feels like the director is posing the question to the government.
Utsav also points his finger at those who believed everything and anything said on social media during the pandemic. The film argues that while some visuals showcased love and brotherhood some videos of the affluent lot lending a helping hand to the needy were pretentious.
Photo has long stretches of silence, but the lack of dialogue does not mean it is uninteresting. Utsav uses striking visuals to convey his points and drives home the film’s point of how monotonous and laborious the entire episode was for the migrants.
Photo is currently running in theatres