“Picture This” is a meet cute romcom with a South Asian twist

A meet cute is a scene where two people meet for the first time, under unusual, humorous, or endearing circumstances. They typically go on to form a future romantic couple. It is these media moments where audience members and viewers get the heart butterflies and the “awww, it is so sweet” feelings. It was this feeling that Picture This director Prathana Mohan wanted to convey

“Romance, the feeling of falling in love and even the butterfly, having a crush heart feels, was something I wanted to strongly portray in this film. Being loved and being in love is a wonderful thing, and I hope all the cute and sweet moments in Picture This express this feeling”.

“Picture This is focused on the protagonist Pia, played by British South Asian actress Simone Ashley (Sex Education, Bridgerton). Whilst attending her sister’s engagement party, a spiritual guru asserts that Pia will meet the love of her life among her next five dates.

A fun, comedic and sweet film premise, Picture This is also layered, complex and most importantly highlights the British South Asian community, providing visibility in the media.

Mohan wanted to direct this film because it portrayed faces, names, themes and characters she wishes she saw when she was growing up in the United Kingdom.

“I would say that the reason why I wanted to direct this film was because there is a focus on family and relationships. The entire film is centered on this, and it definitely challenged my creativity and directorial skills”, Mohan expressed.

“Working on this film gave me the opportunity to craft characters that felt like the people and the community I grew up with. It also gives visibility to the idea that a South Asian woman is the main romantic lead – something which is still rare these days. I love this genre, the story and the ability to bring my own culture and flavor to it all”.

Working on a romcom requires a lot of creative flair, patience and problem-solving skills. It is easy to get into the routine of having too many lovey dovey scenes and moments that it becomes too corny and overwhelming. Mohan, did a lot of thinking and planning for Picture This, to avoid the aforementioned issues.

Mohan hopes that she has done enough for Picture This to be seen as a feel-good film which is complex and layered.

“For me, I thought about what I would like to see in a romcom and how much is too much for me in terms of romance. A romcom without a strong storyline and relatable themes will only results in cringe and over the top, rendering the film non-authentic and original”.

Picture This stars Simone Ashley (Sex Education, Bridgerton), Sindhu Vee (Matilda the Musical, Sex Education: Season 2) and Nikesh Patel (Indian Summers, Hulu’s Four Weddings and a Funeral) among other awesome British South Asian actors.

Picture This can be streamed over the Amazon Prime streaming platform.