As a feeling, I’d describe Qala as one of those days when you’re crying your heart out, maybe on the terrace, and you are miserable but happen to look up and see the beautiful sky, the moon, the stars, and you start feeling the cool breeze on your face. At that moment, you feel weirdly sad but content at the same time. This movie is melancholy, yet; there’s something so beautiful and ethereal about it.
I started the movie and didn’t like it quite as much, but as the movie progressed, it kept growing on to me more and more. It’s so simple yet so powerful and artistic.
The costumes, the surreal music, the beautiful mountains, the dialogues. It’s all just stunning. Movies like these are not just a movie that you watch and get over it. It’s an experience and stays with you. Qala is like two-hour-long poetry. It is slightly slow-paced but does complete justice to the characters and succeeds in establishing a connection with the audience. Amit Trivedi and his soundtracks are just sheer class. I can’t get over “Phero na najariya” and “Shauq” from the album. The vocals and the production are top-tier.
Plot:
Qala is a period drama set in the early 1930s and is about the tumultuous relationship between Qala, an aspiring singer and her overbearing mother, who resents her. It’s a masterpiece showcasing the trauma-bonded relationship Qala has with her mother. It’s so realistically portrayed.
The gender stereotypes, where her mother keeps saying she has to work extra hard for her dreams as she’s a ‘woman’ in a man’s world.
Toxic parenting, the patriarchal mindset, a nuanced portrayal of mental illness and being trapped in your mind, the misery, the uneasiness. You feel all of it. So like I said, poignant yet so comforting.
The English translation of ‘Qala’ is an art that truly lives up to its name. Kudos to Anvita Dutt, the screenwriter and the director of the movie. And to Anushka Sharma and Karunesh Sharma for producing this movie.
Acting:
Tripti Dimri is just fantastic as Qala. She’s so delicate yet so powerful. What a brilliant actor.
Babil Khan is just terrific. For a debut, he’s too good and super convincing. Loved his part.
Swastika Mukherji is just divine, she’s so effortless, and this movie proves that she’s a master of her art.
Anushka Sharma looked stunning in her cameo as a retro movie star.
Cinematography:
The cinematography is just stellar. It’s one of the most gorgeously shot movies I’ve seen. The visuals will stay with you. If you appreciate art, you should watch it.
I’d rate it a hard 8/10. Watch it if you fancy art and have a thing for aesthetics.