Ever since the news broke, there¡¯s been a lot of hullabaloo about Babil Khan making his debut in Anvita Dutt¡¯s directorial Qala. More so because many of us wanted to see if the supremely talented actor Irrfan had passed on some of his traits to his son. Now that the movie is finally out, it¡¯s safe to say that Babil has held his own and managed to make a solid impact in the least amount of screen time.?
Throughout the movie, there were many instances where my eyes popped out in amazement as I couldn¡¯t believe how someone¡¯s vision can be so magnificent. From Swastika Mukherjee¡¯s giant nose ring, the spectacular boat sequence, character costumes to the snow-clad maze, aesthetics are the king in this film.?
Even a simple scene where Babil makes his debut as a singer with a spotlight on him while the room is filled with darkness will give you goosebumps. However, the show-runner is Triptii Dimri, hands down. She gets solid support from both Babil and Swastika but she is the captain of the ship manoeuvring it through and through.?
It also drives home the fact that the life of fame and riches isn¡¯t all hunky-dory. To find a sense of peace, a lot of efforts have to be put in to calm the noise around and also inside one¡¯s own head and heart.??
Babil¡¯s screen presence is massive and impactful. An impressive stature and fine dialogue delivery makes him an instant hit right from the first scene itself. However, this film will definitely leave you asking for more as he doesn¡¯t get a lot of screen time as one would have hoped. Just like his father, Babil does a lot of talking with his eyes. Even his gazes hold extreme power and thehraav (for the lack of an English word).?
Interestingly, many people on the internet believe that his character Jagan might be an inspiration from real life artist Master Madan¡¯s life. For the unversed, he was a child prodigy, who was touted to be a legendary singer right from his early days but died a tragic death at the hands of a jealous competitor.
As for Triptii Dimri, her growth as an actor is commendable. Simply put, her performance is hypnotic.?
Despite projecting shades of gray, it¡¯s hard to dislike her. Instead, her character Qala invokes a certain amount of sympathy for having been wronged and defiled by her own kin and well-wishers.
Another highlight worth mentioning is the surprise cameo of Anushka Sharma which no one knew off! The makers chose to be tight-lipped about it and when she graced the screen in a scene, it was exciting to say the least. To watch Sharma spreading her charm in an old-world set-up and that too after so long was spectacular.
Even the accompanying cast consisting of Varun Grover, Abhishek Banerjee, Amit Sial, Samir Kochar and Veera Kapur among others did a phenomenal job.?
This heartbreaking tale of an artist¡¯s life, love and loss is hauntingly beautiful and definitely not everyone¡¯s cup of tea given its slow-burn genre. The music as discussed before is otherworldly and fresh, unlike the usual monotony that has been witnessed in the recent years.?
Director Anvita Dutt has managed to weave a visual treat which might be lacking in a few places but it's visual-appeal more than makes up for everything else.?
Qala is available for streaming on Netflix.?
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