Taking inspiration from Kashmir’s first female singer director Danish Renzu tells a relevant tale of resilience and rebelling against the social norms. The fight of Saba Azad’s Zeeba Akhtar holds relevance even today. Not everything lands but Songs of Paradise is an important watch

Starcast: Saba Azad, Soni Razdan, Zain Khan Dhurrani, Sheeba Chadda, Taaruk Raina and others

Genre: Musical

Director and writer: Danish Renzu

Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Danish Renzu, Farhan Akhtar and Shafat Qazi

Production Companies: Excel Entertainment, Apple Tree Pictures and Renzu Films

Music: Abhay Sopori

Cinematography: Vincenzo Condorelli

Running time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

Streaming site: Amazon Prime

Raj Begum born in the year 1927 became popular as the Melody Queen of Kashmir. She was honored with Sangeet Natak Akademi award along with the Padma Shri. Raj Begum became a singer at the time of major restrictions. Danish Renzu’s Songs of Paradise is an earnest effort at celebrating her defiance.

Saba Azad as the younger version of Raj Begum

In brief the storyline traces the life of Saba Azad’s Zeeba Akhtar, a young woman blessed with an extraordinary voice. How she breaks the rigid traditions with the help of supportive men forms the basic arc of the film.

A major strength of the film are the acting performances coupled with the music. Both Saba Azad and Soni Razdan playing Zeeba at different ages are a delight to watch. As a young Zeeba Saba brings the perfect mix of vulnerability and resilience. The journey of Zeeba in navigating the world of patriarchal mindset in spite of a support system is both well written and enacted. Saba conveys the determination and the persistence often times with the slightest expressions, specifically her eyes. A standout sequence involves Zeeba’s conversation with a man, “You are a male, you look for an opportunity to showcase your talent. We women seek excuses to pursue our hobbies.” Saba Azad’s background as a singer also comes in handy during the song portions.

Soni Razdan as the older Noor Begum is also wonderful with her moving portrayal. She becomes an emotional anchor often conveying a lot through silences. Zain Khan Durrani as the oxford educated poet is charm personified. The way he supports Zeeba in spite of the open hostility makes the viewers wish that the world has more men like him. Their love track has some adorable moments.

Sheeba Chadda playing an overbearing mother is also fantastic successfully making the viewers hate her. Shishir Sharma as Zeeba’s master also pitches in a good act. Taaruk Raina as a music student is fairly good too. What also adds to the performances is the perfect local dialect. The songs is another plus for the movie. The compositions of Abhay Sopori are deeply rooted in Kashmiri Folk giving a different flavor. The songs do a fine job in echoing Zeeba’s yearning for freedom.

A major problem with Songs of Paradise is the lack of sufficient dramatic tension. The socio and political turmoil in Kashmir needed to be explored more. The challenges faced by Zeeba specifically the societal backlash and the emotional toll have a rushed nature. There is a certain surface level approach sometimes distancing the viewers.

Final word: In spite of a certain surface level approach Songs of Paradise is a relevant tale of pursuing one’s hobby without giving into the society’s narrow minded thinking.