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!