One year after the romantic comedy “Five Blind Dates” premiered on Prime Video, there’s already a remake landing on the same streamer. At first glance, that sort of redundancy might sound egregious, given both films are in the English language and feature the same general premise of a 29-year-old woman facing personal and professional crossroads. “Picture This,” however, more than proves it’s worth revisiting that subject. It’s rooted in the same heartrending themes about tapping into power through passion, but sets itself apart by exploring the story through the specificity of Indian culture. Sweet, silly and sincere, director Prarthana Mohan’s spin has a clear understanding of what makes its source material revelatory and resonant.
London-based photographer Pia (Simone Ashley) has always viewed life through an unconventional lens. She loves work and her independence. But her world is currently in chaos and about to get even more complicated. The studio she poured her savings and soul into – one lovingly dedicated to her deceased grandmother – is financially flailing, mostly because she won’t compromise her artistic integrity to take passport photos. And because she’s entirely work-focused, her love-life is in disarray with no serious suitors. She’s lucky to have Jay (Luke Fetherston) around as a thankless employee and gay best friend to look out for her.
On the eve of Pia’s younger, high-maintenance sister Sonal’s (Anoushka Chadha) month-long wedding festivities in the suburbs, their overbearing mother Laxmi (Sindhu Vee) announces that Pia will inherit the family jewel — but only if she marries. Rather than come up with a “The Wedding Date”-esque scheme to procure a rent-a-groom and fool her family as the narrative’s set-up might suggest, the filmmakers come up with a smarter scenario that won’t make her look like a bad person: Pia’s to go on five blind dates set up by her family – and on the final date, she’ll not only have found the man she’ll marry, but her business will be a success too. She accepts this challenge with gusto, letting destiny guide her. But the ex-boyfriend she left behind years ago, Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), might be stirring up those special feelings again.
Mohan and adapting screenwriter Nikita Lalwani take the sturdy outline of the film’s predecessor and tweak little details to add a more potent punch. While Pia’s second candidate (Nikesh Patel) and their mounting, embarrassing scenarios remain strikingly similar, her other bachelors are given a slight facelift for a broader comedic effect, like the bossy, buffoonish son of a Bombay bigwig’s (Asim Chaudhry) neurotic tendencies and the hippie-dippy spiritualist’s (Phil Dunster) questionable beliefs. Still, it’s a double-edged sword, as her tainted escapades with each allow for good character growth on her part. But they don’t necessarily bring the laughter for the audience; these dimwits are needlessly convoluted in their construction and Pia’s mishaps with them feel contrived. The film’s heart is in the right place though; by the time date four occurs, we’re totally connected to Pia’s strife, rooting for her to renew her gumption-fueled drive, save her business and get her guy.
In addition, Mohan and editor Gary Dollner apply the original’s technique of split-screen montages in exciting new ways to visually contextualize the urgency of the heroine’s quest. They’re put to good use as transitional bumpers between scenes where we get a greater sense of flavor, movement and color from the life inhabiting those spaces. The film carries an electric pop aesthetic. While one side of the frame shows Pia racing to meet her mother at the bank, conveying her struggle as a hapless klutz, the other half displays a henna ceremony interstitial, elegantly establishing the beauty of tradition and community.
Ashley, best known to most viewers for “Bridgerton,” is a formidable leading lady. She’s delightfully charming and has plucky comic timing, making each pratfall work to her advantage. Her wavy hair and megawatt smile recall Julia Roberts in “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” with Fetherston as her Rupert Everett. The male co-star delivers a show-stealing performance that’s as funny as it is tender, even outshining Tiffin in the charisma department. It’s clear Charlie is envisioned as Pia’s personal Mr. Darcy, whether that inspiration comes from “Bridget Jones’s Diary” or “Pride and Prejudice.” But the film never manages to give him that same draw, either in the banter or the chemistry. Tiffin assuredly has the leading man good looks, but the material isn’t there for him as it is for Ashley and Fetherston.
Much like Paolo Genovese’s “Perfect Strangers” franchise crossed over with remakes worldwide in a short span of time, Nathan Ramos-Park and Shuang Hu’s original concept has tremendous crossover appeal. It should inspire diverse filmmakers from other countries and cultures to make this tale their own, as there’s room for it to flourish. With a hook that holds wafts of romantic mysticism a la “Only You,” this is an easy sell to audiences who love to see heroines have it all.
