Colour Photo Review: The 16th Shade of Love

Reviewed by: GitacharYa (first published in Pycker.Com when the film was released on 23 Oct 2020)

Let me make it clear. 

This is not a review. 

Right! 

The Colours in Black & White

It is said that there are 16 shades in black and white representation of colours in photography. Each of the colour has a different shade of darkness or lightness. A variation of black or white. Based on our perception. 

It is also said that a man (read: male being) can differentiate just 17 colours. That, that he cannot see, his perception cannot be so minute unlike that of the female counterpart. But nowadays, our smartphone screens are coming up with 16M (read: M as million) colours and god knows who knows and recognises all the colours and shades. At the end of the day, we can perceive only so many colours. But we still love to see everything colourful. Just like we wanted a colourful ending to the film Colour Photo written by Sai Rajesh Neelam who previously gave us Steven Shankar and Sampoornesh Babu. 

Colour Photo Review: Jaya Krishna’s Tale of Love

Jaya Krishna is a dark skinned guy with a heart as pure as the smile of his love. No. Sorry. Just like he said to his love… as pure as a man’s (read: male being) tears. Because they are the first best. The second best is… you can know by watching the film.

Like the noted Korean filmmaker Lee Eon-hee (she) said in an old interview, in romance, tears taste sweet. Colour Photo is one such romance. Romance not in the sense of what we perceive. It’s on another level. Just watch the climax of the film where JayaKrishna tells his love Deepu aka Deepthi the first time he saw her. And Deepu returns the favour by telling him the first time she saw him. Deepu… Deepthi… Light. His lights. But by that time his Living Daylights were gone. 

Colour Photo Review: It’s the tale of Deepu

But the film is not told from the point of view of Jaya Krishna. By the way, Jaya Krishna is an engineering student. He goes to the college after supplying milk to the customers by cycling along. Just like in the old days. He is a rich man with a few cattle and a bit of land where he sees money growing on trees. Just what he says to his love. He’s not exactly a merit student. But gets good marks. But his lowly status despite being rich (read: in real sense) and dark skin tone comes in his way a few times. But Indukuri Deepthi Varma has no such problems as she’s fair looking girl. And the most beautiful in their college. 

Colour Photo is their love story. And just like most of true love stories, or rather we better call it a love tale (as stories can never end painfully) it has its highs and lows. 

The narrative begins with Deepthi coming from the US with her husband to attend the funeral of her father. After the 42 second long prologue, the movie starts with Deepu yelling at a phone call from India wrong number. Right from this moment to the moment Deepthi who leaves the funeral (she has no intention of attending it. And she doesn’t care) and goes to me….et someone or to bring something with her friend Paddu – meets a young couple eloping is executed flawlessly. She tells her story to the young couple. It ends in a happy note and gives them great inspiration as it’s a story. Not a tale. 

But Deepu and Jaya Krishna’s is a tale of love. And it’s set in reality. Reality is not often happy – with glossy texture and and a heroic beats to remember. But reality is an addiction. Just like love itself is. 

Colour Photo Review: Writing

Sai Rajesh is a brilliant writer is more apparent in Hrudaya Kaleyam and he’s an equally brilliant storyteller which can be seen in Kobbari Matta. But he combined both of these traits and just like a combination of two chemical materials of different colours resulting in another different colour, he has shown his already obvious talent on another level in Colour Photo. There is no screenplay in this film. It’s just a heartfelt narration. It depends on individual’s perception how much they enjoy it. 

The rest

Sandeep Raj’s direction is clean and he stuck to the narration and presented it on the screen as is. Without much distortion. The music by Kaala Bhairava is soulful and blended well with a film which is more of reminiscing. The cinematography by Venkat R Shakamuri is decent.  The visuals are presented in life like style. No cinematic interventions here. The editing by Kodati Pavan Kalyan is fine. Production values are decent. 

Colour Photo Review: Finally

Colour Photo is the 16th Shade of love and it’s beautiful. It has 1 Billion colours as the latest smartphone screens are calibrated with. And yet can show human perceptions in 16 shades of grey. How you take it is your choice. But just accept the fact that… it’s our answer to films like Pariyerum Perumal. Don’t ever say our guys don’t know real filmmaking. Cheese! No smile. For the sake of Bala Yesu. Because… there’s not much left for him. 

P. S.: 

1. Rating: I didn’t like the film. So, refraining from rating it. That’s my perception. 

2. Don’t try to watch it. Just absorb it!