Photograph is a fairly standard Mumbai-set slice of life drama. While there’s humour and pathos, Batra lacks a firm grip on the story and it starts to get away from him midway through the film, making it hard for anyone to really get lost in it. In the end, you can’t help but feel shortchanged.

It is still a sincere enough, easily digestible, curl-up-on-the couch film you wouldn’t mind watching, come the relentless Mumbai monsoon.

The performances of the main and the supporting cast bring out each of the distinct characters they play. The film takes its time to tell its story (the runtime of the film’s festival version is almost two-and-a-half hours). But then it takes time for love and fairness to fight their battles and stand up to the consuming hatred and vengeance of people with power.

If there is any stance of this writer that he found challenged was that films do not need aggressive promotional campaigns to make a mark. All a powerful film needs is a good first impression through the trailer, which packs in a substantial chunk of the story, and the ability to tell much more which surprises the audience who choose to give it a chance.