Qala film reviews & discussions (Netflix) - Page 4

* SPOILER *

I thought she actually was impressed with his singing and was hoping for him to take forward her husband's (Panditji's) name. And I think she slowly actually started of thinking of him as her son that was lost during childbirth.

She was always too critical of Qala and obviously didn't think she could be the one to take forward their legacy.

What do you think?

Originally posted by: Amri_IF

I agree, but also, there were also hints as to how he benefits from it as well as free of it. When he advises Qala to sing for herself, she is incredulous, because she seeks validation from her mother (who perhaps represents patriarchy the most in the movie as she also represents the gharana, the classical music tradition which in many ways is also quite patriarchal in nature). She cannot even envisage what that means. But he has a mystical and mysterious side to him too, we learn not too much about his background except that he sang in a gurudwara.

And I am also intrigued by the fact that he didn't bat an eyelid when Qala discusses her mother's intimacy with Sanyal (the Samir Kocchar character) and says that it is for his sake that she's doing it.

There is the same theme of representing different types of men as in Bulbull, here, the Majrooh character also seems to be the sensitive, almost feminine type like Dr.Sudip, the Parambrata character in Bulbull.

Agree with you. 100%

I think Jagan (like Satya of Bulbbul) represents many men who are well-meaning but completely oblivious to all their privileges. They accept the world as it is without being cognizant of the hurt it causes others.

And the movies also represent the more sympathetic and aware men as well.

*SPOILERS*

Just Wandering, I think I agree more with Clochette.

Qala's mother was distraught at losing her son and felt burdened by her daughter. At first, she sees Jagan as an annoyance hindering her from showcasing Qala. But seeing how talented she is, she immediately starts seeing him as an opportunity to promote her husband's Gharana. She starts seeing him as a son to the point of being viscerally upset at Qala, suggesting she could marry him to always be with her mother.

I don't think the mother instigated what Qala to give Jagan Mercury. I think Qala did it of her volition, desperate for her mother's attention and affection. The song at the end is more of Qala's lament. And it's not speaking to just Jagan's death but her own death as well. Could the mother have been more caring to prevent the deaths? Could she have kept Qala in a cage close to her (after all, that's what Qala wanted) rather than drive her to death?

Loved, loved, loved the film! Tripti was beyond brilliant!

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

*SPOILERS*

Just Wandering, I think I agree more with Clochette.

Qala's mother was distraught at losing her son and felt burdened by her daughter. At first, she sees Jagan as an annoyance hindering her from showcasing Qala. But seeing how talented she is, she immediately starts seeing him as an opportunity to promote her husband's Gharana. She starts seeing him as a son to the point of being viscerally upset at Qala, suggesting she could marry him to always be with her mother.

I don't think the mother instigated what Qala to give Jagan Mercury. I think Qala did it of her volition, desperate for her mother's attention and affection. The song at the end is more of Qala's lament. And it's not speaking to just Jagan's death but her own death as well. Could the mother have been more caring to prevent the deaths? Could she have kept Qala in a cage close to her (after all, that's what Qala wanted) rather than drive her to death?

Qala’s mom looked at Jagan as the son she never had. But more than anything she valued his talent. Which Qala also had but not to the same extent.

Had she given Qala enough affection her singing put aside would Qala have been ok? I don’t think any child would be ok with their mother putting so much effort into someone else’s dreams. Why was the mother so adamant on having a protege ? Did she want to live the dream she had to quit through someone else ?

I sometimes think the mom was more adamant on having a boy as a protege. Because she knew her daughter would have to compromise if she entered that industry.

Originally posted by: Grumpydwarf24

Qala’s mom looked at Jagan as the son she never had. But more than anything she valued his talent. Which Qala also had but not to the same extent.

Had she given Qala enough affection her singing put aside would Qala have been ok? I don’t think any child would be ok with their mother putting so much effort into someone else’s dreams. Why was the mother so adamant on having a protege ? Did she want to live the dream she had to quit through someone else ?

I sometimes think the mom was more adamant on having a boy as a protege. Because she knew her daughter would have to compromise if she entered that industry.

Agree with this entirely. Urmila chose her daughter as her shishya because the son was no longer alive to continue the tradition. But as soon as a worthy successor comes along, she wants Qala to get married, while Jagan is to carry on the gharana. It is suggested that she has a lot of musical talent/pedigree herself, but wants Qala to carry on her father's mantle of the gharana.

And she really has taken the doctor's comment about the twins to heart- maybe she feels that Jagan is the substitute for the son she didn't get to have. So when Qala makes a comment about wanting to marry Jagan, she reacts adversely and berates her for wanting to marry her "brother". She even makes Qala carry out "sisterly" duties of giving milk to Jagan by her own hands.

The fact that we don't know much about Jagan's background compounds his mystique and gives him the mantle of the twin brother in many ways, and both his and Qala's fates mirror each other, like most twins do.

There is also a suggestion of the fact that Jagan's is a more "natural" talent while Qala is perhaps not as talented. Or maybe, the weight of her mother's expectations inhibit Qala from achieving her full potential- it is only when she gets away from her mother's domineering presence and makes choices of her own (however twisted they might be) that she gets to have her own career. But she continues to seek her mother's validation, as symbolized by the telephone through which she frantically seeks her mother's approval. Urmila however doesn't heed her calls till the very end, leading to disastrous consequences.

Originally posted by: Amri_IF

Agree with this entirely. Urmila chose her daughter as her shishya because the son was no longer alive to continue the tradition. But as soon as a worthy successor comes along, she wants Qala to get married, while Jagan is to carry on the gharana. It is suggested that she has a lot of musical talent/pedigree herself, but wants Qala to carry on her father's mantle of the gharana.

And she really has taken the doctor's comment about the twins to heart- maybe she feels that Jagan is the substitute for the son she didn't get to have. So when Qala makes a comment about wanting to marry Jagan, she reacts adversely and berates her for wanting to marry her "brother". She even makes Qala carry out "sisterly" duties of giving milk to Jagan by her own hands.

The fact that we don't know much about Jagan's background compounds his mystique and gives him the mantle of the twin brother in many ways, and both his and Qala's fates mirror each other, like most twins do.

There is also a suggestion of the fact that Jagan's is a more "natural" talent while Qala is perhaps not as talented. Or maybe, the weight of her mother's expectations inhibit Qala from achieving her full potential- it is only when she gets away from her mother's domineering presence and makes choices of her own (however twisted they might be) that she gets to have her own career. But she continues to seek her mother's validation, as symbolized by the telephone through which she frantically seeks her mother's approval. Urmila however doesn't heed her calls till the very end, leading to disastrous consequences.

Fact that she feels Qala took the life of her son. If that is even possible because she was stronger and deprived the boy of getting nutrients? Never heard of that before is also the reason why she is so hard on Qala. And never gave her the affection that she desperately craved all her life. You see that scene with her scolding Qala. Beauty zero? Talent zero? You can not even work hard.

Yup, when she takes Jagan's advice. Trying singing for yourself and not your mom. You will fall in love with music when she is able to give a good recording. When you are doing something to please someone else it never really comes from the heart. There is nothing like striving for a dream that is yours. Before she was just trying to win her mom's affection. Music was just a means. She had to fall in love with music before she succeeded. But in the end she is still not happy. Because the end goal was still not achieved.

*major spoiler*

yessss, Grumpy! I did not write the words of the doctor before (for not spoiling too much), but at the moment they were said, one can see at the mother's face that she will NOT love her daughter (to whom she had looked tenderly before dispite her sadness), that she may well - throughout the movie - reproach her the death of the twin brother. (That's what I meant when I wrote how some words can change - or determine - a whole life.)

There is a moment in the movie when the mother calls her daughter a coocoo (and explains cold-heartedly what she means with that) - again destroying words.

Spoken words and music (singing) are the most important ingredients of this movie...the latter lifting (mood, darkness, coldness), the former far too often pulling down.

The doctor's words that one twin often is stronger than the other and eats up the nutrition so that the second won't get the strength to survive are proven disastrous - in many ways.

Originally posted by: Grumpydwarf24

Had she given Qala enough affection her singing put aside would Qala have been ok? I don’t think any child would be ok with their mother putting so much effort into someone else’s dreams. Why was the mother so adamant on having a protege ? Did she want to live the dream she had to quit through someone else ?

***SPOILER POST***

Call me a sap, but I believe that love, the genuine and warm kind, would have resolved many things.

Urmila never really loved her daughter (or Jagan). Her priorities were utterly messed up. She was obsessed with the legacy of her husband's Gharana and carrying it forward.

As a child, Qala never received any kindness and warmth parents give children. The mother-daughter relationship was reduced to a toxic master-disciple relationship where the cruel master demanded complete devotion. Singing was the only way Qala could get her mom's attention and approval. When Jagan arrived, even that was gone. When Qala achieved all the fame in the world but still couldn't get her mother to take a phone call and show caring, she lost out to her demons and commits suicide.

Jagan also is never seen as a human with emotions. He is seen as a male voice. He may be the replacement son, but he, too, never gets parental affection. It is all about using his voice to accomplish Urmila's narrow obsessions. Once he loses his voice, he sees no value in himself as a human. Hence he commits suicide.

Even in the real world, parent-child relationships sour when parents use their children to fulfill their dreams. Genuinely loving parents love their children unconditionally. They let their children know that they will receive love, even if they don't accomplish anything and fail. Had Urmila been a good parent, even if she took a protege, Qala would never have felt abandoned. The fact that even her protege was damaged shows how toxic she was.

*Spoiler*

If the doctor had not given to the mother the idea that Qala somehow 'killed' her twinbrother in her womb, she would still have forced Qala into the singing career, BUT with other feelings towards her - more positve ones, supporting and caring ones.

I think, it is also due to the mindset that girls are 'less' than boys that the mother-daughter relation was bound to become what it became and that the mother happily fancied the adopted son (but would have dropped him nevertheless).

I also liked that it was shown that the mother 'prostituted' herself to get what she wanted. She was an inherent ego-centered woman claiming to the outside to care.