Mumbai, Maharashtra: IANS had a conversation with 'Songs of Paradise' team. In this conversation, Actress and Musician Saba Azad, Actress Soni Razdan, and Director Danish Renzu open up about their creative journey behind Songs of Paradise. Danish, who hails from Kashmir himself, speaks about the responsibility of authentically representing the region's culture and language, while Saba reveals how she perfected the Kashmiri accent. Soni Razdan talked about her role. From the food and people of Kashmir to the technical brilliance in production design, the trio shares stories of passion, preparation, and artistic integrity. Soni Razdan also fondly recalls her experience working on the cult film Party.
00:00So hello everyone, welcome to Anis and congratulations for Songs of Paradise.
00:04My first question is to all of you, as artists working against the backdrop of Kashmir, interacting
00:10with the locals, assimilating everything, the culture, the food, what was the experience
00:16like because it is the crown jewel of India after all.
00:18So anyone could take the lead and start.
00:21For me actually it's not the first time ever since, you have done Razi, yeah Razi and
00:26then I met Danish and he kept making music videos and casting me in them.
00:31So I had a lot of pleasant experiences and a lot of people used to ask me, oh it's okay,
00:37it's okay.
00:38That time tourism hadn't really kicked off the way it did later and I was like, yeah, yeah,
00:45it's lovely and it's great and it's fantastic and everybody should go to Kashmir and I was
00:49talking like that because that's truly what I felt.
00:54Besides which have always, I've always loved Kashmir obviously, we have had experiences
00:59in the past and right from Razi when we went back and started shooting, the people are lovely,
01:05they really are.
01:07You know, they're so polite and they're so gentle and they're so welcoming and soft spoken.
01:15So you feel this very, very nice feeling when you work there.
01:20And also it's a place which is slightly frozen in time, kyunki a lot development hasn't happened
01:27there the way it has happened in the rest of the country as of now.
01:32And yeah, so it's just a wonderful experience working there and I would love to repeat it.
01:37Yeah.
01:38Okay.
01:39Okay.
01:40Okay.
01:41And Danish, for you?
01:42You belong to Kashmir.
01:43It's my home.
01:44So, it's amazing that we are able to make this film which is about Kashmir music, culture,
01:47traditions.
01:48Not the usual that you guys see in mostly in most of the films.
01:52So, definitely a huge honour to be able to make this film which is an inspiration from
01:57Pratma Shree Raj Begum who was a legend in Kashmir.
02:00Her music is still celebrated.
02:02Yeah.
02:03And this film finally gives it a platform.
02:04So, it's absolutely an honour to be able to make this film as a Kashmiri.
02:08And I'll add a bit to that further.
02:11Representing a story of Kashmir, a legendary artist from Kashmir to a global audience.
02:16More than 280 countries now with Prime Video.
02:19200 countries plus territory.
02:21Yeah.
02:22Yeah.
02:23So, was there a sense of huge pressure kicking in at any point in time while mounting the
02:28film?
02:29Not really.
02:30I mean, it was just the pressure.
02:32The only pressure was that are we authentic to the story?
02:35Are we doing justice to this?
02:37Because, of course, it's an inspiration.
02:38It's not a biopic.
02:39It's inspired by her music, her legacy.
02:41But still, there's a huge responsibility showing Kashmir from that era.
02:45Yeah.
02:46With very limited resources that we had when we made this film.
02:48So, that was always the pressure from day one.
02:50Are we doing justice to this?
02:51Are we just into music?
02:53The biggest, biggest component of this film.
02:56The most important element of this film.
02:58And it was always challenging to put it all together.
03:01But I think we had some amazing cast and crew who were put together.
03:04Who were all excited about this film.
03:07You know?
03:08Yeah.
03:09Everybody wanted this to be a success.
03:10They were excited.
03:11Something new was happening from Kashmir.
03:12A lot of Kashmir crew actually, 70% were Kashmiris.
03:15Mostly the cast and crew.
03:16So, that really helped to make this easy journey for all of us.
03:19Okay.
03:20And satisfying one.
03:21Yeah?
03:22Okay.
03:23And Sabhaab, I was watching the film and you have got the Kashmiri accent right on point.
03:28Now, I know you're a voice actor as well.
03:30Was it a cakewalk for you to crack the diction?
03:33I wouldn't say it was a cakewalk.
03:36But, I mean, there was definitely a challenge in trying to, you know, there's a tendency
03:42to go a little over always, you know, because everybody's kind of heard, you know, we're
03:47Indians.
03:48We've got so many different languages and you hear all accents all the time.
03:51We live in a metropolis.
03:52We come across people all the time with, you know, someone's from Bengal, someone's from
03:56Punjab, someone's from Kashmir.
03:57So, you're, you know, hearing all sorts of accents at all times.
04:00So, all of us have it in our heads somewhere, you know, in our subconscious.
04:03But, I think the challenge is really to not go over.
04:06Yeah.
04:07And, which is where Danish comes in.
04:09He was really reining me in at all times.
04:11Because, I think I was more familiar with another region of a Kashmiri accent.
04:16And, there was, you know, I was more familiar with that region and he had to be like, no,
04:19you need to come back to this region.
04:21This region is where they talk like this.
04:23You need to, this is the region I want you to come back to.
04:25So, pull back a little bit.
04:26So, a very enjoyable experience for me.
04:29I really, really enjoyed sinking my teeth into it.
04:32And, honestly, like more work like this to all actors.
04:36And, did you become intelligent with the voice part of it?
04:39At any point?
04:40Sorry?
04:41Did you become intelligent with the voice part of like enjoying it too much?
04:44Yeah, absolutely.
04:45I do it for fun also.
04:46So, first of all the time, they'll be like, hi, when will she stop?
04:50And, I'll be like, this is how I talk now.
04:52Even off camera.
04:53But, yeah, I loved it.
04:54Okay.
04:55And, my next question is for Dhanish.
04:56You know, telling a story which is set back in time.
04:59Of course, the world was different back then the technology was different.
05:05The architecture is of prime importance as we see in the film.
05:08Period.
05:09Yeah, setting.
05:10Exactly.
05:11The floral patterns in the architecture and the fabric and everything.
05:14If you could walk me through the process of putting it all together from the logistical
05:17point of view.
05:18So, the entire film is shot in real locations.
05:21Real houses.
05:22Real old buildings.
05:24You know.
05:25Silk factories.
05:26Amar Singh University.
05:27And, they still look very old.
05:29Nothing modern has been done on them.
05:31It's very, you know, we don't have to do much.
05:34Kashmir already has that vibe.
05:36Even downtown where we shot Kashmir.
05:38You know, Sweeneyra downtown.
05:39That is also like so raw and real.
05:42There's not much, you know, man-made stuff done yet.
05:45So, it's still very raw and pure and we were able to do that.
05:48Like, I made sure we shot in those locations.
05:50So, it looks as legit and authentic as possible.
05:53And, the good thing is we did find those locations and we were well aware of those.
05:58And, we didn't have to do much of VFX or even like production design wise.
06:03We found ready-made locations which look like exactly how they used to before.
06:07So, that's the beauty of this.
06:09Okay.
06:10And, my next question is for you, ma'am.
06:11Now, this is one of the rare films when a single character is being played by two different actors.
06:16Of course, her interpretation of the characters would be different from yours.
06:20While you were sketching this character in your mind, arriving at the nuances of it,
06:25what was the pitch of the character in your mind?
06:29What did you think that I'll do it this way, a little differently from what Sabah has done?
06:33I had no idea what Sabah was doing.
06:35And, obviously, being actors, you know, at least me, I speak for myself.
06:39I become a little myopic when I get a script.
06:41I look at my role.
06:43So, what Sabah had was there.
06:45I read it.
06:46But then, after that, I forgot about it.
06:48I was focused on myself.
06:49So, I would only look at my scenes and what was motivating my character.
06:54The emotional graph of my scene.
06:56So, I think that is what was my driving force.
07:00And, so, luckily for me also, Sabah shot before I did.
07:04So, it was two different time periods.
07:06So, we didn't have to shoot together.
07:08Then, when I came in, Danish used to help me a little bit, telling me that, you know, Sabah has done this, Sabah has done that.
07:14So, that was helpful.
07:15But, most of the time, I think it's, I think it came from the scene itself and the emotional graph of the scene and what I was doing with the other characters in the scene.
07:23That was really what pushed me to and that was what gave me the characterization that finally I would have whatever I did, you know, was through that.
07:33Okay.
07:34And, was there at any point a major departure from what Sabah had already done since?
07:38I had no idea.
07:39Okay.
07:40I didn't see what she did.
07:41But, for the reference that he made?
07:42I don't know.
07:43No.
07:44There was no major departure.
07:45These were the small little nuances, you know, like she said the word, this word like this or she put a hand like this or something.
07:49But, it was, I don't even remember what it was now because it was so loud.
07:51Yeah.
07:52Because of the schedule also.
07:53And, also because we also, the character over time is more polished now.
07:58Yeah.
07:59Because, she is interacting with Radio Kashmir, director.
08:02She has a lot of exposure.
08:04Sabah's part was like just the beginning part.
08:06Yeah.
08:07Over here, she's already a legend.
08:08The character is already a legend.
08:09She has also some experience.
08:10So, there was a little bit of change in the character, the tone also.
08:13Confidence was there, right?
08:15So, it really didn't, she didn't really have to rely on Sabah.
08:18She wasn't a novice and she wasn't a newbie and she was a little more imperious and a little more arrogant, I would say.
08:23Yeah.
08:24And, a little more obviously.
08:25More exposure.
08:26Written by life, you know.
08:27Yeah.
08:28So, she had, she had a different, she had a different feeling.
08:32Okay.
08:33And, Sabah, you are a musician yourself, but your style of music is slightly urban, towards the urban space.
08:38Here, the music is more of traditional folk, the elements like that.
08:42Valu, working on this film, did the musician in you kick in somewhere?
08:46If yes, how did you like manage the difference between the traditionality and the urban aspect of your music?
08:51So, I mean, thankfully, my listening vocabulary is a lot wider than just the kind of music I made.
08:58So, growing up, my parents actually exposed us to all sorts of music.
09:02There was folk, there was Indian classical, Western classical and of course, you know, your rock and roll legends and other such.
09:09But, soul and funk and other such.
09:12But, I think, yeah, I mean, I was deeply appreciative because, you know, I didn't know about this music.
09:22I, in all honesty, didn't know about Kashmiri music, you know, outside of, you know, the Santoor and, you know, Pandit Shipkumar Sharma used to play.
09:33And, outside of like a couple of instruments, you know, which were very pointedly known as Kashmiri instruments.
09:41Rubab, Dilrubab.
09:42Rubab amongst other things.
09:44Sarangi.
09:45Yeah.
09:46I didn't really know about the Tumbak I'd heard about when I, when I met you.
09:50I didn't even know about it.
09:51Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:52I've got it.
09:53I've still got it.
09:54It's lovely.
09:55You know, I, this was an education for me.
09:58You know, I really got to learn a lot about Kashmiri music and I was delighted.
10:02I didn't know anything.
10:03And as, you know, it's, it's kind of sad that as a musician, I didn't know.
10:08But this, I'm really thankful to Danish for kind of exposing me to the world of Raj Begum and her music.
10:14And to me, there was absolutely no, it was not at odds with my sensibilities at all.
10:21I truly appreciate all sorts of music and it's a universal language.
10:26And that's the one language that you actually don't have to understand the words of and it still resonates with you.
10:32So, I mean, I, I love all sorts.
10:34So, this is just an opportunity to be in the midst of great music.
10:39Yeah.
10:40And ma'am, you, you have worked with one of my favourite films, which is Party, Govindia Lani, sir.
10:45I saw it very earlier in my life.
10:47Mine too.
10:48I love that film.
10:49Yeah.
10:50Especially that scene, it goes on getting viral every now and then.
10:54Oh my God.
10:55It's one of those films, which has a battalion of, you know, huge artists, you know,
11:00all of them very like patterns of their own world.
11:03What are your fondest memories of working on that film being surrounded by such, by talent, like a huge pool of talent, including yourself?
11:11You know, when you're working on a film and you're shooting it all night, every night, your fondest memories are getting, packing up and going to sleep.
11:21But of course, that's, I'm joking.
11:24It was, it was, I loved the, I loved the whole, that he was so innovative for that time where he, the way he shot the movie and you know, going, flowing from one room to the other, to the other, to the other.
11:37It looks lovely on screen.
11:38Trust me, when you're actually shooting it, you're standing there all night waiting for your shot to come because they got stuck somewhere up the line.
11:44And you know, so I have all the memories of standing there getting lots of pains in my legs.
11:49And I have fond memories of looking at other actors and learning a lot because I was very new in those days.
11:54And, and obviously, you know, getting inspired by a lot of other great actors, but it was a very tiring film to shoot.
12:04And she used to take all night.
12:05As a single location film.
12:06Yeah, in one, in one set.
12:08It was a set.
12:09It was a set.
12:10We made a set in Raj Kamal Studios.
12:12Yes.
12:13Okay.
12:14Perfect.
12:15So with that, we have reached the end of this conversation.
12:16If there's anything that I may have missed asking about the film or anything in general.
12:18Please feel free to talk about it.
12:20Well, the film is out on the 29th.
12:23Prime video.
12:24On Prime video.
12:25And we'd love for you to watch it.
12:27Global.
12:28Global.
12:29Please watch it.
12:30I'm sure people will turn out in huge numbers and hoping for the Amazon service to go crash.
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