What Is The Story About?
New Netflix Original film ‘Qala’ is a musical drama, set in 1930s India. Since childhood, Qala (Tripti Dimri) struggles to get validation from her disciplinarian mother (Swastika Mukherjee). Despite being a promising singer, she’s always second place in her mother’s affection, with the lion’s share of it reserved for orphaned singing prodigy, Jagan (Babil Khan). She gains success finally, only for everything to come to nought, as an avalanche of dark events close in on Qala, shattering her mental peace.
Qala is written and directed by Anvita Dutt, and produced by Clean Slate Filmz.
Performances?
Tripti Dimri looks ethereally beautiful as Qala, lighting up the screen with her elfin charm. Her performance too is captivating, early on in the film. It falters somewhat in the later portions, especially in the scenes depicting her precarious mental condition. Overall, Tripti Dimri’s is a cool, bracing performance.
Babil Khan makes an impressive film debut. Though still rough around the edges, he makes his presence felt in a decidedly unconventional debut film. Swastika Mukherjee delivers an efficient, restrained performance as the stern, hard-hearted mother. Amit Sial is effortless as always, delivering what is needed of him. Girija Oak is suitably brisk and no-nonsense, but equally empathetic.
Varun Grover is pleasant to watch in a delightful cameo. He pulls off the whimsical aura of a poet with smooth perfection. Swanand Kirkire and Sameer Kochar’s cameos are welcome distractions to the dark narrative.
Analysis?
Qala is Anvita Dutt‘s nod to the 2010 Natalie Portman starrer, ‘Black Swan’. Qala’s descent into a fragile mental state can be likened to Natalie Portman’s Nina in the latter movie. The similarities between their mental makeup are striking, the story not so much. The art is different, the agony and insecurity of the artists, quite same.
Each frame in Qala is awash with a forlorn, desolate air. The constant presence of snow adds to the bleak, joyless aura that bathes the narrative at all times — just like the relentlessly pouring rain in the 2018 horror film, Tumbbad. Of course, Qala is not a horror film by any means. But as the story progresses, it fills you with a feeling of dread and foreboding, which increases with every passing moment.
Right from the get-go, Qala sucks the viewer into the protagonist’s dark, catastrophic story. The fog, the gorgeous production design, the mesmerising cinematography, the soulful music, and the lovely costumes, all serve to keep the viewer invested in Anvita Dutt’s assured storytelling. The core premise of the story is an oft-told one; its treatment, however, does the heavy lifting in Qala.
The second half of the film is a tad unconvincing. The reasons for Qala’s mental breakdown are there all along; so why do they play their hand only towards the end? Her past is a part of her, buried deep inside her, but chooses to rekindle at an opportune time of its own? The dissonance rankles quite a bit, leaving us dissatisfied with the ending.
To sum it up, Qala is literally poetry in motion, with its spectacular camerawork and terrific music. The narrative needed more buffing and polishing, to come up to the high standards set by the technical aspects of the film. All said and done, Qala deserves a watch for all of the above, and more.
Music And Other Departments?
The music of Qala is already a rage and much celebrated among music aficionados. Amit Trivedi has recreated the music of the 1930s through to the 1960s with consummate ease. The soulful tracks are a delight to listen to. It is definitely an album for the ages. Sagar Desai’s background score is equally good. Siddharth Diwan’s cinematography is the shining star in Qala, besides the music, of course. The beauteous frames get seared on the mind, never to let go. Manas Mittal’s editing is the sore point here. It toggles between fluid and inconsistent, marring the storytelling as scenes end abruptly and new scenes begin all of a sudden.
Highlights?
Terrific Music
Brilliant Cinematography
Performances
Drawbacks?
Unconvincing Ending
Sketchy Editing
Did I like it?
Yes, Mostly
Do I recommend it?
Yes, But Only for Those Who Like Watching Slow Burn Psychological Dramas
Qala Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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