Very rarely does it happen that a film so dark at its core is also insanely beautiful. Qala is that beautiful film with stunning visuals, exceptional music, and some really powerful performances. Anvita Dutt, Amit Trivedi, Tripti Dimri and the ensemble hit it out of the park with this magical movie!

Netflix has presented another exceptional film in the same month after ‘Monica O My Darling’. It might be producing some weird stuff at times but when it does it right, it does it right! Qala is directed by the director of Bulbbul, yet another Netflix Original – Anvita Das. It was her debut and this is her second directorial. Anvita who is known for giving soulful and memorable lyrics to most of the songs that have been classified as classics and evergreen in our playlist comes forth to give you a musical treat this time while sticking to the themes that were also captured in Bulbbul – Feminism and Mental Health.

Set in the 40s, Qala is a period drama revolving around a mother-daughter relationship against the backdrop of the music and film industry of that era. Qala is a neglected female child whose mother hates and blames her for the death of her unborn ‘boy’ twin. Qala is a supremely talented singer but her mother will never accept this. Qala tries hard to gain her love and attention but fails to do so while her mother adopts a boy to feed her need to parent and nurture one. Soon, Qala leaves her mother’s roof and achieves great success. However, she doesn’t feel content without her mother’s love. Also, she has done something terrible in her past that will haunt her and change everything.

Anvita Dutt has a solid grip on the narrative. While the plot is extremely straightforward, she plays a lot with the screenplay. She adds so much of art in the way she is narrating the story. Also, the underlying messages of feminism and mental health are very subtly delivered without being too preachy. The purpose of the film is to tell a story and that is retained with the message also being integrated. Also, her hold on the actors is commendable. She collaborates with Tripti Dimri who plays Qala again after Bulbbul which clearly shows how effortless it must be for them to sync. There is also a big ensemble that has been cast just perfectly and everyone is fitting in their roles.

To elaborate on the performance front, Tripti is just too good as Qala. The way she pulls off being a timid daughter and then a star of the 60s along with also pulling of the depression bit of her character is amazing. Swastika Mukherjee is terrifying to watch. Her eyes and looks are perfect for the vicious character. It is the debut film of Babil Khan, Irrfan Khan’s son who plays the role of the adopted boy. Babil plays his character with the same authenticity and rawness as Irrfan used to play his roles. He has a lot of his father in him and you’ll notice that whenever he comes screen. Others in the ensemble including Varun Grover, Amit Sial and Samir Kochar are great in their respective bits.  

The look and feel of the film is executed exceptionally. The makers literally transport you to the 40s. Every little detail including the trunk call system to the music devises to the little details of the homes of the era are brilliantly captured. Hats off to Meenal Agarwal, the Production Designer and Ramesh Yadav to have pulled this off such neatly and aptly. The cinematography by Siddharth Diwan is great with plenty of artsy shots. The editing by Manas Mittal is crisp both in terms of length and transitions. These technical factors make Qala a visual treat. 

To add mood and life to this setting is the music. The soundtrack which is also the BGM is by Amit Trivedi. It’ll not be wrong to say that 80% of the work of transporting you to the ear of the 40s is done by the music. Also, given that this film is a Musical, it had to be exceptional and no one but Amit Trivedi could have created this magic. The tracks Ghodey Pe Sawaar and Rubaaiyaan are the highlights. On the whole, Qala, though has dark concept, is a beautiful film and will be a very satisfying watch. Anvita Das and team, take a bow! Want to see more of such artsy films that are delightful and also with a message!

You can watch the trailer here: