'Songs of Paradise' review: Saba Azad leads stirring, beautiful drama
What's the story
The musical drama, Songs of Paradise, directed by Danish Renzu, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Starring Saba Azad and Soni Razdan in the lead roles, it's another non-conventional, interesting project backed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Poetic, well-acted, and stunningly shot, Songs of Paradise is an ode to music, women, and to every artist who dares to dream.
Plot
Traces the journey of Kashmir's first female singer
Mostly told through flashbacks and largely set in 1954 in Srinagar, the film is inspired by the late singer Raj Begum, known as Kashmir's Melody Queen. It features Azad as Zeba (Razdan plays her older self), the first female singer of Kashmir, who battled societal restrictions to chase her ambitions. Zain Khan Durrani plays her husband, Azaad, while Shishir Sharma plays her music teacher.
#1
Keeps you consistently engaged
Bubbling with incredible warmth and beauty, Songs of Paradise, while not always at its strongest, is ever so pleasantly watchable. Azad and Razdan are perfectly cast in their author-backed roles, and charm both with their command over the characters and knowledge of Urdu pronunciation. Azad, in particular, is at home in this Kashmir-set saga that allows her to flex her artistic strength.
#2
Azad suits her part well
Azad's gorgeous, timeless beauty is tailor-made for the role, and fortunately, she doesn't look "too modern" for the movie. It also helps that the cinematography and costumes are on point, so we're drawn to her character within minutes. She finds immense help from Durrani; there's a groundedness and realism in his performance that lets the movie flow with a sense of calm and unhurriedness.
#3
Doesn't become too preachy or melodramatic
Songs of Paradise is rarely preachy and does a great job at vocalizing women's issues. As someone raised by a feminist father and an overbearing, orthodox mother (Sheeba Chadha), Zeba is consistently at crossroads, torn between society-induced shame and her aspirations. The film, however, doesn't judge her mother; she is, after all, another captive and perhaps a reluctant enabler of patriarchy.
#4
The film understands its characters well
As a woman, Zeba must not be seen, so she turns her voice into her sole weapon. The movie traces her journey from being a reticent woman to one who quietly breeds a feminist revolution. Additionally, Songs of Paradise is, at once, both a portrait of Zeba's musical journey and her tender, beautiful relationship with Azaad. Like her notes, her life, too, gradually soars.
#5
Areas where it could have been better
The film, however, falls prey to some usual cinematic problems. Some key conflicts and events are rushed and half-baked, leaving a sour aftertaste. Also tough to digest is the way conflicts have convenient resolutions and characters take a sudden 180-degree turn without showing any prior intention of transformation. We should have gotten a closer, more scathing look at the odds stacked against Zeba.
Verdict
Strikingly different from usual projects on OTT; 3.5/5 stars
The music is another strong aspect of the film, with multiple poetic and soulful songs advancing the narrative. With a stacked cast (Lillete Dubey, Taaruk Raina, Lalit Parimoo, among others), Songs of Paradise is a fresh, novel project that cuts through the clutter of tiring mainstream cinema. Watch it for the music, performances, and the breathtaking locations. 3.5/5 stars.