Qala (2022) User Reviews

soothing for the eyes & ears

[valfrae · 8/10 · 2 December 2022]

The story is beautiful & so are the songs in the movie. It tugged at some mother issues I have as well, so it connected with me. How your mother labels you remains with you forever. The plot is unraveled very beautifully for the audience, Anvita Dutt is a brilliant director. And the aesthetics is just - chef's kiss.

Amit Trivedi has done a beautiful job with the music. The entire soundtrack is a banger. Hands down, best album in a Bollywood movie in 2022. Brahmastra's album is a close second, but not ALL the songs in that album are as amazing as the songs in Qala.

Tripti Dimri, Swastika Mukherjee & Babil Khan have done a fine job. Especially Tripti, showing all the emotions a mentally disturbed person might feel with her expressions, body language & tone of voice so effortlessly. I'm excited to see more of her future works.

A snowflake in a hurricane

[shreyanssethia · 8/10 · 2 December 2022]

It explores an unexpected theme bounded by metaphors and symbolisms pointing to the vulnerability of women to make a career in showbiz. Envy, guilt, trauma are some of the key motifs. Dichotomy of fame is portrayed with flashes and blinding lights. With earnest acting performances and art direction. The anatomy of Qala is enthralling. We often stage sadness rather than madness as the cornerstone of female heartache. Qala rectifies that with the freedom to lose control. With an unsettling aftertaste it left me with a story that felt familiar with a syntax of arthouse and unconventional horrors.

Well written and stunning performances is what makes Qala a pleasant watch.

[ketgup83 · 8/10 · 1 December 2022]

After impressing the audience with skillful writing in Bulbul, Anvita Dutta steps into the area with direction and she does comes out well in the today's release - Qala

Based in the lovely city of Calcutta during the 1930's era, Qala tells the story of a female playback singer (Tripti Dimri) who life goes for a toss when her mother Urmila (Swastika Mukherjee) brings home an orphaned boy, Jagan (Babil Khan) who poses threat when it comes to singing.

Debutant director Anvita Dutta creates an artistic world of Qala with mesmerizing cinematography and enchanting art direction where each frame is so ecstatically presented that it is difficult to take your eyes off the screen. The tale of aspiration, opportunity, jealousy and betrayal is well balanced thanks to the tight screenplay, fine technical aspects and electrifying performances by Tripti Dimri, Swastika Mukherjee and Babil Khan.

Overall, well written and stunning performances is what makes Qala a pleasant watch.

Tight slap for bollywood haters

[vluckylkv · 10/10 · 1 December 2022]

My god what musical numbers, what storyline,what performances by all the the actors, specifically tripti she definitely will steal your heart with her performance, her childlike innocence and struggle to seek validation from her mother really comes as genuine. This film is truly slap on haters of bollywood who think bollywood dead and doesn't have any original storyline. What an amazing story and with character depth. Every scene of this movie feels like painting .Each frame has so much meaning behind it. Amit trivedi really did sone amazing work with the music and every song feels like breath of fresh air. I can't tell you how song beautifully infused life in this movie. Please give it a watch who who thinks bollywood is dead.

Heartbreakingly Beautiful!

[whoareyou-25120 · 3 December 2022]

I do not know how to describe this movie. It's not a movie but an EMOTION! Or rather a tsunami of emotions!!!

The CINEMATOGRAPHY itself is so BEAUTIFUL that it will break your heart! I was so mesmerized, that I rewinded and rewatched some scenes 20-30 times!

The story is simple and straightforward. It's no mystery what happened even though the directors and writers could have infused some intrigue. And that's my only gripe. They revealed what happened too early and they should have kept their cards close to their heart to maintain some suspense.

But the BEAUTY of the movie has not suffered because of that. The HEART of this movie is based on EMOTIONAL COMPLEXITY. Mother-daughter relations, jealousy, competition, that eternal strive to gain the approval of your parents!

SONGS are another highlight of this film. Drawing on our folklore, spiritual and mesmarizingly haunting!

There were a few hiccups in acting from Tripti Dimri but all the others carried their roles to superlative PERFECTION!

In this era where Bollywood churns disappointing gutter movies so often, this one stands out like a diamond in a coal mine! You will not regret watching this!

Good dark story but actors didn't turn up

[ayushparasar · 6/10 · 11 January 2023]

Qala is one of those films which makes you feel books are better than films. It is just so difficult to tune everything to the same frequency the cinematography, acting, pacing, storytelling, music(which is top-notch in this one btw.) etc. It could have been one fine mystery short story, but of course, how would we have gotten the great album then?

I don't have much problem with its slow pacing because it picks up in 2nd half, and I am used to slow-paced films. What bothered me the most was the monotonicity.

Playing the role of a child who has a disturbing childhood and is continuously deprived of her mother's attention and love despite being a single child is not easy, even for someone who has done a dozen films, let alone a new actor. And it did prove a bit too much for Tripti Dimri(Qala). She's cute, but her expressions in the film are primarily scared (that too in a weird way) or terrified. Very sorry to say, but Babil Khan(Jagan) was not up to the mark either. I absolutely loved the bits with Sunil Grover(he's an absolute gem) and his thoughtful dialogue:

". . . Par daur badlega. Daur ki ye puraani aadat hai."

Apart from music, the colour grading is very beautiful, which complements the dark aspects of the film industry. The shooting locations and photography are great too.

Qala is a masterpiece

[rupashreenath · 10/10 · 2 December 2022]

So yesterday I watched Qala because I was waiting for this project for a long time as director it is directed by Anvita Dutt Guptan and last time she amazed all of us with her work in Bulbul. I have to tell this movie is whole lot of different experience and not like our typical Bollywood movie. The director has written this story with depth and every dialogue, every picture in this movie is the example of it.

Cast: Tripti Dimri totally nailed it with her acting skills and she proved once again that she deserves to play the lead roles in every movie. Other than her Swastik Mukherjee and Babil Khan is also truly amazing. They totally did justice to their characters.

Cinematography: I must say the cinematography will totally blow your mind because each and every frame of this movie looks no less than a living painting which you will rarely find in some movies so Kudos to the cinematographer.

Music: The music is also synchronised with the movie's theme perfectly. Each song as soon as it starts to play take you to that current emotion that the character is feeling. Some songs even brought tears in my eyes.

Storyline: Anvita Dutt Guptan hats off to you because you have mastered in storytelling. This movie gives a strong message on mental health in depth. Every emotion of this movie whether jealousy or partiality or sexual harrasment or love feels real. Director has portrayed those emotions with such ease. One will never feel disconnected from the movie even for a second. The ending of the movie will break your heart and I was crying like hell after finishing the movie.

Lastly this movie is a tight slap on the faces of those who thinks that Bollywood always copies and unable to create unique content, they have to watch this first.

In short Qala is a absolute masterpiece and I would highly recommend everyone to watch this movie on Netflix.

So close to a good film, yet so far !!

[Rish_tweets · 6/10 · 2 December 2022]

#Qala feels more like a lost opportunity.

The screenplay is not convincing at multiple places. Himachali people wearing black when Jagan dies is absurd. Looks like director's forced attempt to have black & white (snow) to make frame aesthetic.

Nevertheless, The snow setting adds to beauty of frames. Cinematography by Siddharth Diwan needs special applause.

Music is already topping charts. Amit Trivedi's best work in years. BGM is good. Sets are good but are not well researched. Director could have explored dark side of Qala with some more details.

Overall if you have patience & love for music you can sit through Qala!

Qala is the Film of the year

[ajay-74385 · 9/10 · 1 December 2022]

Loved it. Such films are rarely made or attempted. All cast are brilliant. 9/10.

Clean Slate Filmz has given #Pataal Lok, Bulbul, Mai , and now Qala. All were great success. This film is even better.

Triptii Dimri is a versatile actor who has great future.

This movie relates to all generation. Mother -Daughter relationship, art, female artistes survival in Bollywood , can be watched with family. No abuses, no gali. Watch it with family.

It's songs will linger for long time. Babil has done great work in limited space shows he has potential and will have great future.

Anvita Dutt knows how to portray dark, female side and hidden world with great aesthetic.

A must watch.

Musical Horror :- Yeah a Genre to Explore more!

[nitishkumarmohanta · 7/10 · 1 February 2023]

I have witnessed one of the best Netflix banner Bollywood movie which showcase us the mental state behind successful artists. A movie which will be remember for it's Retro Music collections in recent time, but it have lot more than that. At first let me tell you this movie is not made for all, so I will be in a doubt for it's overall ratings. Those who will smell the darkest essence of it will rate it high and those who can't get over with it's slow burn pace and doesn't understand the hidden meaning of it will surely disappoint with it.

Tripti Dimri & Swastika Mukherjee (her mother's character) both were brilliant actors and acted superbly and represented a great concept within 2hrs, but the absolute show stealer was our debutant 'Babil Khan' (the son of Late IrrFan Khan). Although his screentime was less yet impactful for sure. We can surely bet on his wonderful career ahead.

Overall the Movie is Good and if I talk more about it then it will spoil the main plotline so gonna stop my review here. I will rate it 7 out of 10 Stars for it ; lefting out 3 stars just because I have some issues with it's storyline and as it will be one time watch for me, so I will not call it masterpiece but worth watching for sure. Anyway some mild sexually explicit scenes are present but ignorable so yeah you can go for it with family..

Waste of time

[verma_saurabh · 2/10 · 18 December 2022]

Please return 2 hours of my life. Completely useless bogus stuff. The problem is the lack of any story is being hidden with impressive cinematography and sentimental dialogues. This movie is neither a psychological thriller nor about mental health. I rated it 2 only because of somewhat decent performance by the leading actors.

One keeps waiting for something to happen or the story to develop but nothing happens in the movie except one bogus scene after another. The music is average and nothing that classy. The whole film is shot in depressing colors and hues and may cause mental health issues for those watching it rather than help the cause.

Its a mile stone of art movie.

[rajeshchakraborty-05229 · 10/10 · 1 December 2022]

This is a story of pain. The pain of a woman who stand in-font of the world. This is a story of a signers family , where a girl child brought up and she every time showing her singing skill for name and frame for this mother. The mother of this child know actual pathetic reality of our society but this girl do not understand that . This girl take some bad decision for that she depressed and finally kill herself. In this movie all the actor and actress perform just awesome. The this movie all the song speechless mind blowing. The movie choreography is ahead of time. One of the best movie in life.

Anvita Dutt with another visual spectacle!

[ahmedhasan-85889 · 7/10 · 26 March 2023]

Qala enhances Dutt's reputation as a director who focuses on building a narrative around the projection of her protagonists' psychological turbulence as a physical world that is dystopian, bordlerine fantastical and a sheer spectactle to behold. Bullbul, her first directorial venture, was of a similar mould where Dutt tackled a sensitive subject matter and infused it expertly with popular folklore thus creating a masterpiece that breathed fresh life into an otherwise stagnant goth-fiction genre in Indian cinema. I believe Qala achieved all that but without the expected gravitas.

Qala follows Qala Manjushree, a prominent classical singer in 1940s Calcutta, as she unsuccessfully tries to savour her success but also keep the demons of her past at bay. The singer battles her hypocrisy, her constant desire to win over her mother's validation and her urge to rise further up the ladder in a heavily male-dominated industry that relentlessly suffocated and disregarded her from the very beginning.

The pros of the movie are absolutely its visuals and allegories. The snowy landscapes of Himanchal, the mazy garden overlooking Qala's childhood home and her exchanges with individuals translate into invading depression, growing entrapment and haunting echoes in Qala's young mind. The way Dutt manages to blur this distinction between reality and imagination all the while keeping control over her narrative is masterful and reminds me of Lars Von Trier and Terrence Malick, both experts in the cinematic portrayal of how psychological battles intricately intermingle with the physical world. Furthermore, Dutt takes it up a notch in the music department this time with almost all of the tracks, produced by Amit Trivedi, proving to be absolute classics to be savoured for years to come.

The one aspect where I believe Dutt lacked in when compared to Bullbul was the script and the substance in the storyline. The dialogues, even in potentially defining moments, failed to adequately support the visual spectacle, thus leaving the sequence on a precarious line between realism and over-imposed fantasy. The plot too proved to be simple enough in the end in contrast to Bullbul that held intricacies and unnerving revelations till the very end.

Dutt though outshines once again as a cinematographer and a master visualist. Can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Too artsy, too little story

[qui_j · 2/10 · 6 December 2022]

This tries to be an art house film, but along the way, it forgets it's supposed to tell a story. The scenes and backdrops all have this smoky atmosphere that's filled with 1930s paraphernalia, but the editing is so disjointed and disconnected that the focus seems to be on beautiful sets rather than any meaningful narrative to help weave the story together in a coherent manner. Maybe it is meant only for an Indian target audience who might focus on the plaintive love songs and flowery language used in the lyrics. Unfortunately, a global audience has no interest in trying to wade through a lot of fluff to try and find some non-existent, ethereal story!

'Qala'-a masterpiece

[nehasharma-60559 · 3 December 2022]

Qala is a poignant masterpiece. The movie is dark, mysterious amd powerful of capturing the attention of the spectators. Not just the plot, the minute details that the setting holds are eerie and at the same melancholic just like a still painting. It is a concoction of resentment, desire to love and be loved and an extreme form of jealousy that leads to the metamorphosis of a being. The enchanting aura of Tripti Dimri as Qala and the magical acting of Babil Khan as Jagan does full justice to the plot. Comprehensively, it is a gut -wrenching narrative with extremely beautiful musical that narrates/describes the inner psyche of the characters.

Musical painting

[surabhigupta-92852 · 10/10 · 24 December 2023]

A beautiful, musical movie with great acting by Tripti, Swastika and Babil. It was heart touching, sad, but soothing too!

Every frame and scene were special esp himachal, river scene were like a live painting. Music, singing, acting superb.

Tripti acted so well that I just wanted to hold her in my arms and console her. Her mother's attitude obnoxious, self centered and unmotherly. Wanted to give her a tight slap! Also focuses on dark world of casting couch, sexual harrasment in Bollywood or for that matter any film industry. Girls like Qala should be strong, confident and should not seek validation from their heartless relatives.

Kudos to whole team.

A performance driven feature!

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 7/10 · 5 December 2022]

This is a movie dedicated to all those parents who coerce their descendants to pursue their unfulfilled goals in place of their children's own dreams and wishes. This is a movie specifically made for those begetters who unapologetically use their kids as nothing but mere instruments to achieve their long-forgotten aspirations and desires, forgetting the fact that it may as well lead up to irreversible consequences.

Through Ms. Dutt's pragmatic imagination, we delve into a world that is sufficed with pictorial masteries as well as musical ingenuities that not only convey a great deal of messages that ultimately helped to form a pertinent narrative, but they also contributes quite heavily to such multifaceted yet graceful world-building. Then comes an assemblage of extraordinary talents completely devoting themselves to the cause which makes this even more so unusual and effective.

P. S. A promising debut for Babil (Son of late Irrfan Khan); now, I want to see more of him!

a lovely flim

[mrpattern · 9/10 · 2 December 2022]

Great acting by tripti and a wonderful visualization of jealousy and constant effect for an artist to be best.... Anvita has done a great job after bulbul... I must add upto this that every shot of the flim is a masterpiece of its own... both locations Calcutta and himavhal are portrayed beautifully... Babil has also done a great job....

Songs of the film deserves a special mention... amit has done great job... Shauq and ghodey pe sawaar my personal favorites.... the bgm and the thumris add up to a different special kind of vibe into the film....

Great picturisation of the continuous internal battle for an artist... would recommend it to you all.....

Beautiful

[jayuttane · 7/10 · 2 December 2022]

Dimri's acting was way better than the story pace but needed Babil's character to grow more to let Qala's feelings be justified. The Cinematography was too beautiful. The movie was a musical and it's music justifies it's genre all the music scores in the movie were soulful and heartwarming. Cinematography and music were the two things I loved about the movie. There were some things which needed research like himachali people wearing black on funeral was not good but yeah it looked beautiful in the snow. The story pace was slow but it added beauty to the tragedy but sometimes it was just too slow. Overall movie was a slow painful but beautiful and melodic death.

Must watch

[brijeshghelani · 10/10 · 1 December 2022]

The 1st dialogue of the film itself tells about the quality of movie you will be watching. Qala is outstanding. So many emotions are portrayed in the movie and all so perfectly. The story is outstanding. The highlights of the movie are tripti dimri and the music. I have heard such good and soothing songs after ages. Tripti dimri steals the show undoubtedly, there is not a single frame in which she has overacted or underacted she is on point. Tripti owns the movie. Babil does pretty well too. Special mention to Swastika Mukherjee and Amit sial, also varun grover. Watch qala for tripti dimri and you won't regret it. The movie is brutally honest and raw so prepared for it.

One time watch!

[shokhis · 6/10 · 7 January 2023]

Cinematography, 1930s vibe, direction is beautiful but I didn't like the story much as it was really short. The movie name is "Qala" but I couldn't relate much with "Qala of the lead" as she was offered to sing in exchange of doing all sexual things with the man not due to her singing which pinched me alot as I was expecting someone will recognise her voice and give her a change and her mother will change her opinion. I liked the message of the boy who told qala to sing for herself not for her mother but unfortunately the jealousy of qala made him loose his voice and he suicides.

Still the movie is good and you will love the classical music.

Week story with good cinematography

[suvojitforever · 4/10 · 25 December 2022]

Qala movie has got very nice cinematography and visuals was really approachable but story is really way too week. It's not too hard for viewers to predict the story plot, if you have watched few horror movies, it'll be easy for you to get the story in first few moments of the movie.

Taken too much time to build up, till then the story was already cleared in mind of audiences. Two hours was not needed, you'll feel bored through out the timeline. Scenes were very extended that wasn't need at all.

But you can watch the movie if you want to see good cinematography and good scenes from old era.

:)

Best original Bollywood movie this year !!

[parikghimire · 9/10 · 2 December 2022]

The movie is fantastic. I really enjoyed the movie. The story is superb, cinematography and background score is really fantastic. Director ma'am did a really good job in choosing the cast. The actors were really doing the job brilliantly. I loved it. I recommend you to watch the movie. The movie is really enjoyable. But if you're looking for something that has action sequence and mass movie, I think it's not your thing but if you want to watch something that has larger than life visuals, drama, great suspense, and a really engaging thriller than you will love this movie. The only reason I gave it a 9 rating is because it hasn't fully shown the character of the lead actress. I think you should try this movie, I am sure that you will love it !!!

A poignant tale of self destruction & road to atonement...!

[PANDIAN120621 · 7/10 · 26 December 2022]

What an artistic movie,the color graph,snowy scenery,costumes & lighting are truly a Oscar worthy Loved all the music & brilliant bgm of Amit Trivedi, an act of true craftsman... Though the movie is slow paced but does not let u down establishing the characters & connection them and their pasts.... Despite a visual grandeur kudos to Anvitha dutta for giving time space to artists for their emotion and expressions and skillfully creates a ripple effect where even a heart breaking moment & silence has a soul in it... Babil Khan screen presence makes u haunting and guilty that's a true work of an actor.. Tripti is a new power house talent of bollywood carries responsible act over the movie,do industry recognise her or glorify nepotism???

Overall a typical Bollywood flick that's refreshingly good with substance in it.

Extremely painful to watch

[aniruakc · 1/10 · 24 December 2022]

The story is nothing but a woman suffering from cold mother syndrome which also is not justified. Just because the girl twin survived and boy twin died in womb, the mother hates and tortures her daughter forever. I hated the Anvita Dutt character so much I can't explain. I was just waiting whole time for the movie to come to the end. I loved the music so much before watching the movie but now they are traumatizing. The only good thing about the movie (songs) also get ruined, highly recommended don't watch this crap ever. Just enjoy some classical music. The protagonist (Qala) is so scared from her mother, no one can imagine. Even a stepmother would treat her with much more sympathy. If there were a law for behaviour of mother for her daughter, then she will be hanged for sure.