Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a single street photographer working the crowd at the Gate of India in Mumbai, convinces Melonee (Sanya Malhotra), one of his shyer subjects, to pose as his fiancée in order to silence his meddlesome friends and grandmother. Love takes time, and while writer and director Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox) deserves credit for his deliberate pace in bringing together his two lovers, the end result falls far short of its promise. Love is in the air; why the need for a suicidal ghost to bring things down? And talk about a dearth of l’amour toujours. Our romantic lead goes to great lengths to track down the last remaining “bottler” of his beloved’s favorite soda. The manner in which the visit to the manufacturer is lit and scored, you’d swear Rafi was there to make funeral arrangements. With Farrukh Jaffar in the Maria Ouspenskaya role, trying without luck to help make this affair one to remember. (2019) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.