New Delhi

In Anvitaa Dutt's 'Qala', Tripti Dimri essays the titular heroine, Qala Manjushree, a famed and wealthy playback singer in what appears to be the 1930s and 1940s India. Her life appears to be the same as a successful celebrity. That is, until we see her haunted, seemingly literally, by a shadow, someone, from her past. The narrative switches to Qala's childhood. She was born to a mother Urmila (Swastika Mukherjee) who hated her for, as she saw it, killing her twin brother in the womb. 

Advertisment

Qala's childhood was spent in futile attempts at pleasing her mother by practicing her vocal skills for hours on end, not realising that no matter how much she tries to be a good singer, she would never be what her mother desires: a son who could further her legacy in classical music.

It is not as though Urmila actively hates her daughter, the thing is she refuses to acknowledge her existence most of the time. When she does so, she is distracted as though she has other, more important matters to attend to.

Advertisment

Then comes Jagan, played by Babil Khan, the son of the late Irrfan Khan. A superior talent to Qala at least in Urmila's opinion, he quickly became the son she never had.

In the present, despite being a top talent in the industry, Qala is unable to find happiness. Whatever successes she finds in her life, one of which is a Golden Vinyl, she is unable to shake off that feeling of inadequacy prompted by her mother's scorn and refusal to keep in touch.

Soon enough, as memories that are triggered by the aforementioned apparition flood back, Qala has a mental breakdown, and is unable to distinguish between what is real and what's just in her mind. 

Advertisment

Once again, Dutt, who earned acclaim for her impressive (if a bit uneven), directorial debut 'Bulbul' in 2020, weaves a compelling tale of ambition, envy, rampant misogyny, and mental health. It is easy to see that she has grown quite a bit in the intervening two years. Her direction is assured, and her command of the admittedly strong material (she has also written the script) is robust.

qala

The good writing extends to the characters that really do feel like living, breathing people. Given the character, many other actors would have descended into melodrama, but Dimri portrays Qala with rare, refreshing nuance, giving a full-bodied performance. Even Urmila, certainly a loathsome character, is given a humane touch. Even she earns sympathy, in the end. Swastika is fantastic in the role.

Babil as Jagan is not given a lot of dialogue, but he does appear to carry an intensity in his eyes similar to his legendary father. The young actor clearly has talent.

Like 'Bulbul', 'Qala' is also an absolute visual feast. The period setting is realised in immaculate detail. Whether it is the snowy, desolate landscapes of a hamlet in the Himalayan foothills, or the interiors of a recording studio, the images are crafted with the precision of a surgeon by Siddharth Diwan, who also handled the camera for Anvitaa in 'Bulbul'. The sumptuousness of the imagery also translates to set and costume design.

I did find 'Qala' a bit too long. The plot appears to be stretched too thin before the credits roll. But this is just a minor nitpick, for most of its runtime, this film leaves you awed. And once again, I find myself asking about a Netflix movie: why is this film not in theatres?