Songs of Paradise directed by Danish Denzu is loosely based on real life of Raj Begum – a Kashmiri singer of the 50s who is known as the melody queen – the Nightingale of Kashmir – the film is charming and a musical delight – but is that enough – The Lazy Reviewer
The lilting melodies rendered in Kashmiri by mellifluous singers reflecting the emotions of the words that the poets weaved into them is what makes Songs of Paradise now streaming on Prime Video; memorable. That and the Kashmir itself portrayed in all its charm – art, craft and culture – the Dal Lake, the greenery, the mountains – the carpets, curtains and the shawls with their distinctly Kashmiri embroideries and the period look through the lens of Cinematographer Vincenzo Condorelli make watching this movie a delightful experience despite its misses.
The detailing of the walnut engraved walls and ceilings, and furniture, the quintessentially Kashmiri lake-side houses with its windows, the ornate luxury homes and the ordinary dwellings, its paper mache factories and scenic roads and the radio station with its live sessions and the Kashmiri bakers with their radios – Songs of Paradise is like a little trip down the timeline and a journey through the Paradise on Earth – Kashmir.
Raj Begum
Songs of Paradise based on Real Life Story of Raj Begum
The film ‘Songs of Paradise’ directed by Danish Denzu is loosely based on real life of Raj Begum – a Kashmiri singer of the 50s who is known as the melody queen – the Nightingale of Kashmir. She normalised women musicians singing in public. She was the first female singer with Kashmir Radio where she recorded for several live performances and recordings and is considered to have inspired several other Kashmiri women singers, who followed her into the profession. She started singing at a time when women were known to be singing inside their homes or during weddings in private. Singing in public was not considered respectful. But she went on to sing not caring for the taboos. and even won Padma Shri for her work. While not all her work is preserved today, she continues to be a legend who revolutionised music scene as the first woman voice of Kashmir Radio, and her songs continue to haunt memories. Unfortunately, the rest of India may not know much about her –not even when she died in 2016.
Now in 2025, through the film Songs of Paradise and the semi fictionalised story of the protagonist Noor Begum – the legendary story of Raj Begum is re-lived. While it’s a commendable attempt – the film is also a lost opportunity.
Saba Azad
Songs of Paradise – The Story
The film is primarily about a singer by hobby, Zeba who is discovered by a music Guru and makes to the Radio after winning a contest but changes her name to Noor Begum fearing ridicule. Her husband a poet with Radio Kashmir Azad, supports her through all the backlash from the community and encourages her rising career as a singer. Noor goes on to win awards and accolades. Her father a tailor always supported her, but her mother only comes around when she realises, she was wrong in trying to stop her daughter from singing.
As Noor Begum continues to sing in her senior years, she agrees to share her story with young scholar working on his thesis – Rumi, the film unfolds revealing her biography.
The story based on real life when gets into a screenplay – the major challenge is its predictable nature. Yet the best of the biopics managed to keep the emotions high and intrigue intact with the help of some amazing writers leading to blockbuster hits.
What is Missing in Songs of Paradise?
The undoing of Songs of Paradise it its narration. While Raj Begum’s travails as the first female singer must have been full of challenges as she braved on – the cinematic version glides over these with just a nod here and there. This disregard for the weaving a strong story leaves it uninspiring if not for the backdrop and the music.
The film’s screenplay is quite lateral making it quite a predictable fare – the only conflict and visibly high moments are – when Noor is devastated when her records are destroyed and then she gains courage from the women who come looking for her and a career in singing with her inspiration.
The film is set against the backdrop of Kashmir from the time it was fresh out of the first IIndo-Pakistan war and integration with India. This important period of history too gets a nod at the most – when Lilette Dubey breathes the air and calls it the Scent of Freedom. The film also left out the ever-volatile politics of the land – without even a nod this time – but then there was a mention of the changing times and rising hope. It feels like the film writers went ahead to check all the boxes on Kashmir with customary precision without conviction. Lilette Dubey as Azad’s aunt seems to have been introduced for this express purpose. She even reminds us of Lal Ded – (well that’s one more box checked). And if anything, the resilience of Kashmir finds reflection in its women, and the politics of the land did impact the women and art for sure.
Actors Soni Razdan as the older Noor Begum aka Zeba Akhtar who defied societal norms to become the first Kashmiri female singer with Radio Kashmir and Saba Azad, who is a singer and from Kashmir enacting the younger Zeba are a major plus for the film. Its interesting to watch Saba as Zeba passionate about equal rights for women and how she asserts herself despite being innocent of worldly ways.
Songs of Paradise – The Playlist
As is evident in the title of the film – what it leaves out in the narration – the film makes up for it with some amazing music that outreached beyond Kashmir despite the language barrier. Some of the memorable songs of Raj Begum like Dil Tsooran and Vesiye Gulan written by legendary Kashmiri poets are recreated in the beautiful voice of Masrat Un Nissa, who the rest of the world discovered thanks to the film.
The songs touch your hearts and are a treat to watch when some of them are played alongside the uniquely Kashmiri instruments santoor, rabab and daf, traditional folk percussion instrument Tumbaknaer, noet. A deep dive also reveals the other singers Zartasha Zainab, Taaruk Raina, Munir Ahmad Mir, and the legendary Kailash Mehra who are equally brilliant. Peter Gregson, a Scottish cellist, and composer (Bridgerton fame) gave the background score that is a good contrast to the traditional compositions curated by Kashmiri artist Abhay Rustom.
Songs of Paradise Review
Songs of Paradise is charming, and is a peek into the culturally rich Kashmir and its literary and musical traditions – however – cinematically it asks for so much more. That said – if you love music – and you love Kashmir – and you have not watched the musically delightful film – then you are missing something!!
Rating: 3/5
