#qala movie

[radheshyam-tiwari-videocon]

I really really love the movie qala but most importantly it's album which a complete masterpiece. So I would like to make moodboards on old celebrities on songs in the album of qala (sort of like the vibe they give off). I hope you will like it

[tikhagurur]

going insane thinking how jagan’s affection and love for qala couldn’t save him from her jealousy and hatred for him

[inmyworldblr]

Qala (2022) | dir. Anvita Dutt

[pearlgisa]

qala and the style over substance argument

so, i watched qala (dir. by anvita dutt) immediately when it came out - a story that exposed the music industry and the position of women in it, especially focusing on the toxic nature of indian classical music? it was like they made the film for me (someone who's spent a good chunk of their life trained in hindustani classical music). however, i was sorely disappointed.

in essence, qala, along with other films that did commercially well that came out in bollywood last year, solidified my understanding that the audience of today's generation of movie-watchers genuinely puts style over substance and in fact, uses it as a way to defend their favourite movies from criticism. the recent resurgence of praise for om shanti om of all films, only strengthened this opinion.

my criticisms for qala are in plenty, yet i will choose to expand on the ones that strike out the most to me, all of which range from the lightest to the harshest criticism:

the choice of music

the acting

the direction + writing

the handling of the serious issues that are the main theme of the film

before you read ahead, please know that there are spoilers.

in indian classical music, there are two distinct forms: hindustani (or, north indian) and carnatic (or south indian) music. each have their differences and similarities and even someone who hasn't trained can tell them apart upon listening. within hindustani music - which is the genre of music that qala learns from her mother - you have many different styles of singing, ranging from shastriya sangeet (classical form of singing) to laghu sangeet (semi-classical and sometimes, light music). of course, this categorization also has its roots in religion and caste. shastriya sangeet has forms of singing like dhrupad (the oldest form and a strictly devotional medium), khyal (the most common one, telling tales or speaking of human emotions), bhajan (also a devotional medium), etc.

laghu sangeet has forms of classical music like the thumri, a form of singing popularized and invented by courtesans. the lyrics were sensual, romantic and more explicit. of course, owing to these, they were looked down upon. even the british had a huge role in diminishing the status of indian women performers. the "other woman" concept was specifically one that they propagated and the rise of the "perfect housewife" phenomena began since the seventeenth century. the extreme effect of that? the courtesans lost out on their patrons and were forced into prostitution.

hence, that was the primary history behind qala's mother, urmila, shaming her into never being a performer, i.e, in a more derogatory term, a "singing girl". a courtesan, essentially. which is accurate, considering the film is set in the 1940s. if a girl was too "out there in the world", i.e, her achievements being publicised in newspapers or her getting recognition for her academics, her future marital prospects were ruined. and the "shame" that befell the family if she was learning music or dance was worse. a significant number of the prominent female musicians that emerged from this era of pre-independence to post-independence were unmarried. or they had many patrons and salacious rumours regarding their love life were in plenty. the film pakeezah (1972) explores such themes quite well. and the many renditions and retellings of devdas also serve as a good example of the stature of performing women.

however, it's the music itself where it goes wrong for me. the choice of songs as well as qala's singing (of course, all of qala's songs are sung by the amazing sireesha bhagavatula), is in a style all too similar to laghu singing. the years of egregious training, no matter how much her mother dismissed her, would've developed a voice which would've sounded a lot more like what a lot of classical singers would sound like, unless they were singing a lighter form of singing. and it isn't a matter of pitch or using falsetto. qala's mom is referred to as a master of qawallis, which is a sufi form of devotional singing (and comes well under hindustani music too). even the lyrics of qala's songs, while full of very obvious foreshadowing, do not match the overall orthodox classical upbringing that the film portrays.

while bhagavatula has an amazing voice well versed in classical music (especially since she sings bhajans so often), considering the time that qala was set in, you would've expected a sound similar to something along the lines of noor jehan or even roshan ara begum. instead, it sounds a lot like a mix of semi-classical instrumental with a more pop-based voice. which is easier for our generation to digest and consume, however, it comes at the cost of a sound which is very typical of the 50s-70s era of bollywood.

one that qala does right are the costumes. they do their job well. not the sets as much, which i will get into later. at some points, they are well in line with the rest of the era of the film, other times it just sticks out like a sore thumb. here's where the "symbolism" comes in.

one of the most jarring examples is the song qala sings at the first performance, a very light classical song just by the sound of the vocals. even the song jagan sings is very contemporary at its core. despite the characters having an allegedly strict, traditional schooling of music (jagan's voice is devoid of the typical heavy accent or dialects that those who are from underprivileged backgrounds tends to have), the songs at hand present a very modern take on qawallis, despite bollywood being a flourishing ground for many iconic qawallis. therefore, the compositions sometimes falter at some points specifically because of the vocal choices. choosing to do away with alaaps, especially in qala's part, less aakar and more bariki, are all signficant details that feel jarring to someone who's lived in the world of classical music as long as qala. otherwise, there are some signature sounds retained from the era that the film is set in.

and while still on the topic of singing, a very important issue that i find least addressed is the acting of it. despite there being little vocal variations in the compositions, the actors don't show that they are singing. and in the film specifically revolving around music, that's an extremely important detail that i find amiss. hardly opening the mouth, the movement of the lips, the posture as well as the hand gestures (yes, a very important detail!), are all obvious flaws. a recent film that does that does those details well is the disciple (2020). the first scene of urmila teaching qala singing displays urmila wearing an elaborate piece of nose jewellery that covers half of her mouth, and that's when they're doing rehyaas (practice), not a performance. it's huge details like these that don't sell the film to me.

the acting is quite underwhelming and here is where disagreements with my opinions might enter. i find trupti dimri's rendition of qala extremely, for lack of politer words, exasperating. she tends to show the same expressions for all of her problems, i.e., there is no great difference between her feeling anger or feeling despair or feeling depressed or feeling cheated or just plain exhaustion. qala's character is a complex one and difficult to act, which is a concession i will give, however, the hype around her is a little unnerving when the audience is given such an unremarkable delivery of dialogues and emotion. it comes off as school-play acting at times. swastika mukherjee, who plays urmila, is quite two-note with her acting, which sometimes suits her character and sometimes just feels very low-effort. babil khan has his moments, yet there is such less versatility. you'd think the babil of qala's hallucinations and the one who existed in real life would have some distinct characteristics (which they do), but they never come off as that. it feels so half-hearted at times.

the whole point of symbolism is that it's subtle at heart and not on the face. qala has on-the-face symbolism, which is an irony in itself. the black swan scene, the frosty room in the beginning, the ghostly jagan, etc. almost made me bump my nose into a wall. it comes off as pretentious at best, as if the viewer is stupid. it is also very off-putting in some scenes. for example, the black swan scene - there is very little buildup and it feels very predictable in the sense that "it all goes downhill from here". however, there is one scene which i like, which is the gargoyle one (a very traumatic scene, for those who recall, it is the one right before ghodey pe sawaar gets recorded for the final time). i think that is the most effective filmmaking in the entire film. the best thing about symbolism is always the subtlety. it makes the viewer keep coming back to pick up on something they might have missed in the first watch, it helps them pick up the pieces along the way instead of being able to tell the twists thirty minutes before they are revealed.

and one of the most egregious crimes of the entire film is the direction. here is where we get a little more technical (but just briefly, do not worry). the way it cuts from one scene to the next is like watching a poorly edited reel put out by the team of an out-of-touch marketing firm. the editing could have been better at many places. the writing falls flat specifically when it comes to the characters. i'm pretty sure on paper, the script must've been a delight to read. the story has so much potential - considering that it's based on two books, where there might've been even more depth given to the characters - it isn't new in any way but it offers a different, feminist perspective of the indian music industry. yet, the characters are paper thin on screen - in their ambitions, psychology and sociology. hence, urmila suddenly turning a new leaf in the last ten minutes of the film is something that feels wrong, because all along, she has been portrayed as a heartless mother. qala's actions make sense because her character has nearly always been rooted in self pity and rage. jagan is nothing without music. there is very little dimension to them apart from me summarizing their characters in one sentence with less than thirty words each.

that is why, the film feels even more half-hearted when it speaks of the issues that it centers around. all of these elements add up and make for a tiring watch. i gave qala a second chance, to be fair and omitted some of my pettier criticisms, yet the more serious ones remain. to a certain extent, it does aestheticize depression, which i have a huge issue with. however, baby steps as always with bollywood. it's no dear zindagi considering it is set in a different period with a different ending. however, the writing of the characters could've been so much better. a little more exploration of urmila's intentions would've given her so much depth. a few more interactions between qala and jagan might've given qala the chance to befriend him and not just see him a rival, thus intensifying the decision she took. the characters do not feel human, they are strictly white or black and qala being the anti-hero feels very off since it requires better writing and a stronger plot. and of course, much better acting.

however, qala re-opened up discussion of a nearly-always forgotten discourse - that of the position of women in music. and for achieving that bare minimum, i give it full credit. however, when there have been films with much better writing, characterization and cinematography in bollywood itself, with a similar theme, qala needs to be seen for what it contains than what it displays. just because it glitters, doesn't mean it's gold.

[pariaritzia]

AN ACTION HERO (2022)

[yourownpookie]

KI ANKHON MEIN TERI RAAT KI NADI

YE BAAZI TW HARI HAI SAU FEESADI

~♥️~

[mera-chain-wain-sab-ujda]

ek aese desi main character wala dance moment to main bhi deserve karti hu

pc: pinterest

[cinemaquiles]

DICAS DE FILMES DISPONÍVEIS NO STREAMING DIRIGIDOS POR MULHERES INDIANAS

[richdadpoor]

Babil Khan Refuses To Use Irrfan Khan's Legacy To Get Work, Says 'It's For Me To Earn The Job'

Babil Khan will next be seen in The Railway Men. (Photo Credits: Instagram) Babil Khan revealed that he believes in auditioning for a part rather than using her mother’s contacts to get work. Babil Khan made for one of the most highly anticipated debuts of 2022. He forayed into the world of acting with director and lyricist Anvitaa Dutt’s psychological drama Qala last year and went on to win…

[thebookbillboard]

Qala - Movie Review

Directed by Anvita Dutt Guptan, and produced by Clean Slate films, Qala is a movie based on the life of a successful singer who is troubled by her past. The costumes, songs, movie sets, cars, cameras, homes practically everything in this movie transports you to the India of the late 1940s.

The movie is dark and carries a depth that keeps you in its hold during its 120 minutes of screen time. Tripti Dimri as Qala, is simply wonderful in her role – she is a girl who comes across as a subtle and soft-spoken person who you would easily ignore in a room but behind her innocence is a woman who knows what she wants and will not shy away from getting it no matter what it takes. Her mom, Urmila, played by Swastika Mukherjee is a strong presence in Qala’s life as well as on the screen. She has a domineering influence on Qala, who wants to please her mother at all costs. Mother-daughter duo belong to a family of music maestros and her mother has high expectations from Qala. Almost all the mother daughter scenes take place in their heritage home in Shimla and every frame captured here is a painting in motion. Their dimly lit home, the boat ride with a renowned music artist, scenes shot in snow that seem so peaceful yet haunting, leave an impression on the mind long after the movie gets over. Equally gorgeous is the jewellery worn by Urmila, giving us a glimpse of the Himachali culture.

This movie marks the debut of the late movie actor Imran Khan’s son Babil Khan who gives a matured and restrained performance as Jagan Batwal. The actor knows what is expected of him and even when no dialogues are said, his eyes convey pain, betrayal and the foreboding look of an impending doom.

The movie touches upon gender inequality, venomous ambitions that enslave you, abusive parent child relations, casting couch in film industry and the presence of gay men in society.

But the message most strongly conveyed is that of karma, the great force that pays you back no matter what heights you reach in your professional or personal life. You have to taste the fruit of your karma, sweet or bitter, whichever it may be. You may be frustrated, sad or depressed when you took a particular step in your life, but karma doesn’t care about your intentions or your innocence. What you give is what you will get. If not today, tomorrow.

Lastly, coming to the music by Amit Trivedi, Qala is an album with meaningful lyrics, a catchy number (who hasn’t heard of Ghode pe kyu sawaar hai?) and soulful songs that you would love to hum and listen to in your most reflective moods or as you go about your day.

Overall, the movie is a beautiful piece of art, and has an old-world charm that strikes a chord within you as all movies with good stories and direction do. Surely a must-watch!

[radheshyam-tiwari-videocon]

Qala

"Daur badlega daur ki yeh purani aadat hai"

[i-myeoni-blogs]

Qala (2022) – Movie Review

Director – Anvita Dutt Guptan

Genre – Horror/ psychological/ musical/ suspense

Release Date – 11 November 2022

Available on Netflix

Introduction –

What does it look like to be followed by your haunting past and desperately chasing the validation that seems out of reach? The movie Qala, directed by Anvita Dutt, beautifully presents the hard struggles of a young playback singer Qala Manjushree, fighting with her heavy and haunting past. It covers the thrilling reality of mental health and the constant struggle to fit into a societal mold. With its engaging dialogs, excellent performances, and keen details to the sets, the movie has excelled in painting a vivid picture of life from the 1940s. This is not just a story – the film leaves a lasting impression even after the credits roll.

Plot Analysis –

Set in the 1930s-1940s, Qala is a psychological drama film that revolves around the haunting musical journey of Qala Manjushree, played by Tripti Dimri. Qala, a talented playback singer, becomes the soulful voice behind every song yet she yearns for a single voice – the validation and love of her impassive mother.

Qala lives with her mother played by (Swastika Mukherjee), who trained her strictly in music and eventually put mental pressure on her since birth. Despite her efforts, her hard work remains unacknowledged by her mother, who instead fixates on the potential of another budding singer Jagan played by Bilal Khan. Persistent to fulfill her mother’s dream of building a name, Qala pushes herself to the extreme and eventually succeeds. However, her longing for her mother’s validation and love remains unaltered.

As the story unfolds, we witness that the constant pressure for validation has taken a toll on her mental well-being. But Qala keeps her inner battles beneath her smiling façade. The narrative gradually reveals the dirty hidden truths that add layers to her complex character. The film portrays the fragility of mental health and highlights how it’s usually ignored. While the movie is slow-paced, it allows the story to simmer completely. Beautifully unraveling her struggles, desires and her haunted past. What sets Qala apart is the unsettling film's climax, shedding light on the mental health struggles. It allows the audiences to reflect on the fragility of psychological tensions and the importance of acknowledging and empathizing with them, which societal norms often push under the rug.

Performance –

Tripti Dimri won the audience's hearts with her outstanding performance as Qala. She captured the essence of the character, the ambition, and the struggle of internal voices. Her remarkable work to live the complex character like Qala was acknowledgeable. Qala’s mother played by Swastika Mukherjee delivers an impactful performance as an emotionally distant mother. Furthermore, the supporting cast, including Babil Khan in a debut role as Jagan adds to the important part of the story, leaving a lasting impression.

Music –

With its focus on a musical journey, the film features several lovely songs that transport us to the 1930s and 1940s. Swanand Kirkire, Varun Grover, and Amitabh Bhattacharya wrote the songs, which were masterfully composed by Amit Trivedi and added depth and an emotional connection to the movie. The song "Phero Na Najariya," with the melodic voice of Shreesha Bhagvatula, was the most notable. It depicts Qala's needs and desires. Additionally, the song "Ghhode pe Sawar" gained fame due to its light-hearted vibes and 40s influence. Every song is skillfully interwoven and speaks to the film's complexity. Additionally, these tracks are a must-listen if you enjoy gentle melodies.

Hit – The audio and appealing visuals of the movie are the backbone of the film, but what stood out the most are the performances. The authentic work and dialogue delivery is commendable and adds to the impact of the theme. The movie masterfully blends mild horror and psychological drama. It might not be like a guessing game like other psychological genres, but gripping enough to hold your attention till the end.

Miss – While the plot is thought-provoking and insightful, the pacing may feel a bit slow for viewers who prefer a faster narrative.

Verdict – All things considered, Qala is a masterfully shot movie that is notable for how it captures the protagonist's inner voice. It has a sense of aspiration, and its charm is enhanced by well-chosen music. Even while some viewers may find some of the scenes uncomfortable, it's definitely a compelling and enjoyable movie.

Recommended.

Rating – 7.8/10

[inmyworldblr]

Qala (2022) | dir. Anvita Dutt

[tikhagurur]

𖡎thinking qala/jagan hours𖡎

[hatshepsuthypatia]

100% share these sentiments...why am I finding this movie in 2024 😭? Why Avinash is still not mainstream yet and why Tripti had to play such an insignificant role in the trash film Animal for recognition of her talent 😭😭??!!

Truly Desis fail their own cinema by not promoting the good stuff 🥲😭

Watched the movie ✨ Laila Majnu ✨ today. 🤌

The fact that this movie released in 2018 and I didn't know about it's existence till a few days back is criminal. 😭 Like it's nearly the end of 2022 and I didn't know about this? Had seen the actors in Bulbbul but didn't think of looking up other movies of them?!

Avinash Tiwary's acting?!🤌 Like how beautifully he portrayed the way love can drive a person insane. And I cannot put into words how amazing he acted. I need a movie with Avinash and Tripti as the lead couple again, but this time with a happy ending🥲

Why is this movie not famous? How have I never heard of it before? It's tragic how I missed the chance to see this masterpiece in the theatre.

"Tujhe kya lagta hai ye hum kar rahe hai? Hamari kahani likhi hui hai"

[pariaritzia]

very funny that this reviewer asked anvita dutt how 'her mind' came up with the scene where qala's mother kicks her out of the house in the mountains in winter bc she messes up her riyaz. "kicking out of the house" is tied with "throwing your stuff out of the window" for most common threat/punishment in a desi household that doesn't involve actually hitting you. how has this reviewer not heard of that lol