Prarthana Mohan’s Picture This is a romantic comedy centered on Pia, a second-generation NRI, who we see struggling in her personal and professional life. Her analogue photo studio business was barely making money and she was unlucky when it came to love. After several failed relationships, she realized that the only person she had ever truly loved was her childhood sweetheart Charlie. But on the other hand, she had moved on with her life and was comfortable with the idea of remaining single forever.
Pia’s mother Laxmi refused to accept her daughter’s decision and insisted that her goal be marital bliss. Though Pia knew that the jewellery her mother had set aside for her wedding would help her pay the studio bills, she was not allowed to access it until she decided to get married. Her mother insisted that her family priest read Pia’s future and mentioned that according to her stars, the love of her life would be among the next five men she would date. A very accurate prediction, indeed!
Director: Prarthana Mohan
Writers: Nikita Lalwani, Nathan Ramos-Park, Shuang Hu
Stars: Simone Ashley, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Sindhu Vee
After Panditji’s prediction, Pia’s sister Sonal suggested that her family find her the man of her dreams. While Pia completely disapproved of the idea at first, she eventually decided to give it a try. During her sister’s wedding ceremony, she came across Charlie and was disheartened to learn that he was dating someone else. That was what primarily prompted her to agree to the blind dates that her family members arranged.
The man her father chose for her happened to be the son of a billionaire and while that was definitely a plus considering Pia’s financial status, he was full of himself. Sid proposed a deal to Pia; he was willing to invest in her study and in return, she had to marry him. She didn’t want his emotional support or physical affection; she simply needed someone to stand by her side at social events. Pia declined the proposal and headed out on her next blind date. Her mother had chosen Akshay, her colleague who was in his 30s. He was quite the gentleman, eager to learn more about Pia.
She proceeded to kiss him and to her surprise, he called out her mother’s name. It turned out that Akshay had a crush on Laxmi and probably agreed to the date because he couldn’t say no to her. Pia was horrified. Sonal chose her friend, actor and yoga instructor Milo Boner, for Pia. Pia was initially hesitant about dating someone who was so interested in spirituality but it was her faith in it that helped her walk on a bed of hot coals and she thought she had finally found someone special. But then it turned out that Milo was a flat Earth advocate and that ruined everything for Pia.
Pia was disappointed when her mother blamed her for not finding the right match. She thought her daughter was too picky and believed she would be completely lost without her guidance. Pia was fed up with hearing her complaints and ended up going a bit overboard with the insults. Sonal expressed how frustrating it was to date the men her family had chosen for her because every single one of them was a mess. She also added that Akshay was in love with Laxmi. Pia believed that she was more authentic than any of her family members, who were just pretending to have their lives together. She called out her mother for taking pictures with her ex-husband just to make her relatives back home think that they were still together, even though it had been fifteen years since they divorced.
Pia ended up admitting that her studio was about to be shut down because she was knee-deep in debt. Sonal wondered why she didn’t say it earlier – after all, she was always there to support her sister. But Pia didn’t take her concern well and was mean to her. Sonal called Pia a difficult and mean idiot, and asked her to leave the event because she didn’t want her wedding to be all about Pia. Pia later realized that she had made a huge mistake. She loved her family, no matter how imperfect they were. She spent the next few days rotting in bed, refusing to do anything. Luckily, her best friend, Jay, came to her aid. Jay advised Pia to attend her sister's wedding, even though she had asked him not to. He knew Sonal would forgive Pia; after all, they were inseparable. And he was right; Pia apologized to her little sister, and Sonal was glad Pia showed up.
At the wedding, Pia surprised her mother by sharing a romantic moment with Akshay in a spare room. She was happy for her mother. After fifteen years, Laxmi finally took a step towards her own happiness instead of trying to impress her relatives. Laxmi knew she would be judged for dating a younger man, but she no longer cared. Pia's reality check had worked, and Laxmi was forced to address the fact that Pia was a good match for her younger sister.
Before the wedding, when Pia was at her lowest point, a client had asked her to explain what a portrait studio was for. Pia had always refused to take passport photos and repeatedly told her clients that they were a portrait studio because their creative process involved getting to know their subjects, talking to them and getting a reaction, resulting in beautiful photographs. She believed in creating moments and not taking photographs that lacked emotion. Pia had no idea that two kids from the studio had filmed her. Her passion was reflected in the video and it immediately went viral on social media. Everyone wanted their portraits taken at Pia’s studio and she practically became an overnight sensation. Although it was too sudden, it was Pia’s passion and persistence that brought her success. She no longer had to worry about the bills she had to pay or the eviction order. She could finally focus on her creative process and spread the joy she had always wanted.
Pia and Charlie were high school sweethearts who were forced to part ways as a result of their different aspirations in life. Pia had always known that she wanted to move to London, while Charlie had decided to stay in Welwyn and help out with the family business. But before she left for London, they had promised to get back together as soon as she graduated. But their romance fell through and they never saw each other as they had planned on the day of Pia’s twenty-first birthday.
Charlie kept the promise and was heartbroken when Pia didn’t show up. And it wasn’t Pia’s fault, considering Charlie never met her during his time at university. She had assumed they were going to go their separate ways and didn’t see the point in showing up when they weren’t even in contact. But even after all this time, when Pia and Charlie crossed paths again, they couldn’t stop thinking about each other. Life didn’t turn out the way they had hoped when they were young high school students, but in the end, they were meant to be together and somehow, everything worked out in the end.
Pia was so busy with everything going on in her life that she didn't have time to work on the party gifts, but as the groom's best man, Charlie made sure that the execution was perfect. Pia was impressed by how Charlie took responsibility when he realized that she was not fit to work on the party gifts.
In the Picture This finale, Pia had no choice but to admit that her Panditji was right, love was right around the corner and all she needed to do was give it a chance. Pia confessed her feelings to Charlie and he reciprocated her emotions. He had always known that she was the one for him and it was just a matter of time. The lovebirds got back together and the romantic comedy came to an end with an Indian dance.
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