After Bride and Prejudice, South Asian representation in Western rom-coms has often swung between distorted stereotypes (think Never Have I Ever, Bend It Like Beckham) and complete lack thereof. Enter Picture This, starring Simone Ashley and Hero Fiennes Tiffin, a film that finally gets the nuances of South Asian culture and the realities of modern dating right. Here’s our Picture This review on whether the movie is worth your time, or not.
AT A GLANCE
Film: Picture This
Director: Prarthana Mohan
Cast: Simone Ashley, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Sindhu Vee, Anoushka Chadha, Luke Fetherston
Runtime: 100 minutes
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The first production under Simone Ashley’s own banner, Good Catch Entertainment, the trailer for Picture This might look underwhelming and stereotypical and we’ll admit, the story has been done plenty of times, so there’s nothing new there. But, there’s something about this movie that is definitely worth watching.
Inspired by the Australian Amazon Original Five Blind Dates, this movie is a breath of fresh air, blending the charm of a classic rom-com with an authentic depiction of what it’s like to be a South Asian woman navigating romance in the modern world. As Ashley herself said, “I grew up watching rom-coms and I never really found many where there were women like me, who looked like me, leading them and playing the love interest. I wanted to do that. I wanted to make a movie where I was the heroine in the sense of a rom-com, the Bridget Jones.”
And boy, does she deliver.
The film captures the chaos of online dating with painful accuracy – whether it’s the overconfident tech bro who thinks he’s God’s gift to womankind, the guy who still lives with his parents but insists he’s “independent,” or the ones who ghost faster than you can say “rishta pakka?”
Picture This understands the frustrating but all-too-real experiences of South Asian women swiping their way through a sea of disappointments. It also tackles cultural expectations with sensitivity, without reducing faith, parenting, or even destiny to overused tropes. For once, pandits aren’t made out to be weirdos, mothers aren’t just screaming about “log kya kahenge,” and arranged marriage isn’t painted as the be-all and end-all of South Asian love stories.
As a Bollywood fan, it was great to see a sister duo showcase their love for Bollywood on screen – something I can totally relate to! Watching Simone Ashley deliver iconic dialogues like “Yeh haath humko de de, Thakur” was a fun touch, though a little more practice might have made it even better.
A huge highlight of the film is the trio of women at its heart – Simone Ashley’s character and her relationship with her mother (played by Sindhu Vee) and sister (Anoushka Chadha) brings warmth and laughter. But perhaps, somewhere it lacks in bringing the right amount of emotional turmoil. Their interactions feel real, filled with everyday banter, affectionate jabs, and the unspoken love that exists in every desi household. Picture This review
As for Hero Fiennes Tiffin, fans will be delighted to see him finally break free from the brooding, emotionally unavailable Hardin Scott (and, thankfully, from that same black shirt and pants he’s been wearing for half a decade). In Picture This, he’s charming, witty, and – dare I say it – likeable, proving that he’s got more to offer beyond the After franchise.
With just the right mix of heart, humour, and a hint of filmi drama, our Picture This review concludes this is a film that gives South Asian women a story they can finally see themselves in, minus the stereotypes.
So, whether you’re a hopeless romantic, a rom-com connoisseur, or just here to see Hero Fiennes Tiffin in something other than a toxic relationship, Picture This is a must-watch. And trust me, this one is worth it.
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