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!
