Anvita Dutt Guptan directed the Hindi psychological drama film “Qala,” which is available on Netflix and is set in India before independence. It centres on the titular lead, a skilled playback singer who has established herself in the film industry. Thoughts of a terrible previous event and Qala’s difficult relationship with her mother torment her. Her mentality begins to dominate her soon after, which ultimately results in her demise. Although the film’s background music and poetic imagery engage viewers’ thoughts, the conclusion raises some unsettling issues. Are you eager to learn more and quench your curiosity? We got your back! Spoilers follow.
Qala Plot Synopsis
Qala Manjushree, a well-known playback singer in 1940s India, receives a Golden Vinyl, the nation’s highest musical honour. Despite having a successful job and achievements, she is unhappy on the inside. Nobody is aware of the fact that Qala is haunted by a man’s ghost who feels she ruined his life. This prompts her to think back on her background, and the spectator is taken into her early years as a result. Qala’s mother, Urmila Manjushree, never showed her any affection despite her birth into a prominent musical family from Himachal Pradesh.
The latter, a widow, blames her daughter for the death of her twin sibling who passed away at birth, and she is cold to her throughout her daughter’s growing years. As a result, Urmila never fully develops Qala’s singing abilities and criticises her for insignificant errors. Things get worse when Jagan, an orphaned teenage musician raised in a gurdwara, is introduced to the mother and daughter (Sikh temple). His musical ability immediately wins Urmila over, and she takes him under her wing, leaving her daughter feeling unappreciated.
Qala begins to feel envious of Jagan as her mother trains him to become the next singing phenomenon rather than her, and she makes a special effort to get approval from Urmila. However, the latter bans her daughter from performing solo and forces her to play an instrument and back her protégé. Despite the fact that Qala sees Jagan as her competition, he sympathises with her and exhorts her to pursue her goals. Urmila connects him to renowned playback singer Chandan Sanyal while they are in Calcutta, and Qala realises that she has been seducing him to get her student a foot in the door of the film business.
The little girl then repeats the action with composer Samanta Kumar in an effort to win his favour and land a recording contract. The Manjushree household is suddenly struck by an unimaginable catastrophe, and Urmila holds Qala accountable and exiles her. The young woman travels to Calcutta from her home in Debisthan, Himachal Pradesh, in order to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. Unfortunately, Qala’s first playback recording fails, which allows Samanta to take advantage of her weakness and sexually assault her.
This abuse develops into a pattern as Samanta has power over her, all while pretending to advance the aspiring singer’s career. Fortunately, Majrooh, a lyricist, and Naseeban, a composer, become Qala’s friends and aid her in escaping his grasp. In the present, she has made a name for herself as a talented vocalist whose songs are included in each new film. Additionally, Majrooh, Naseeban, and Sudha, Qala’s secretary, are a group of devoted fans who cheer her on at every turn and collaborate with her on her songs.
However, Qala’s meeting with a now-unemployed Samanta left a lasting impression on her, and she began to have other visions of the spectral figure. She slowly begins to lose her sense of reality as her troubled history unexpectedly comes back to haunt her. Qala acknowledges that perhaps there is no escaping her demons as she clings to the final vestiges of her sanity.
Qala Ending, Explained: Is Jagan Alive? Does Qala Kill Him?
A ghost, initially thought to be a supernatural being, is observed to be constantly following Qala in the present. Soon, it becomes clear that the man she constantly sees, taunting her for stealing the life intended for him, is Jagan. Qala remembers the catastrophe that ultimately caused her relationship with her mother to end as she thinks back on her earlier years. In Calcutta, during a music performance in front of notable members of the film business, Jagan unexpectedly faints and becomes ill.
It’s interesting to note that Qala steps in to perform after the young vocalist leaves the stage. A distraught Urmila tends to Jagan as they return to their snow-covered Debisthan home with the mother and daughter. Surprisingly, no doctor can identify his illness, and as his fever grows over time, he gradually becomes weaker from the inside out. As a result, Jagan is unable to sing, which has a significant negative impact on his mental health. He begins to distance himself from everyone despite Urmila and Samanta’s comforting words, and one night he sobs in front of Qala.
The next morning, Jagan disappears, and Qala discovers him dead, having hanged himself from a tree out of depression. Despite blaming herself for his suicide, she goes up to Samanta Kumar and accepts the singing gig he had initially offered the latter. This creates a rift between Qala and Urmila, who accuses her of stealing the dead boy’s dreams in order to advance her career. Years later, the former is still feeling guilty about Jagan’s suicide even though she is enjoying the success she has achieved in Calcutta.
As a result, Qala constantly sees his ghost, who makes fun of her and accuses her of taking his place, driving her insane. His ghost represents her guilt over her alleged role in his voice loss, which resulted in his death. While Qala doesn’t actually kill Jagan, she steals his voice and destroys his dreams, slowly suffocating him and encouraging him to commit suicide.
How Did Jagan Lose His Voice?
There are strong hints that Qala might have caused Jagan’s illness during his musical performance. It is made clear that she is incredibly envious of him as he enjoys everyone’s attention. Additionally, Qala’s petty feelings are turned into something vengeful by Urmila’s disapproval, so she poisons Jagan’s milk with mercury, which he then consumes before taking the stage. The throat side effects of mercury, which Urmila had previously warned her daughter about, are now used by her to push a rival out of the way.
The doctors miss the mercury, and Jagan gradually loses his voice as a result of weakness. He crumbles internally as he watches his dream of becoming a singer fade away, helpless and hurt. He hangs himself. Qala’s insecurity in her current circumstance triggers memories of her past feelings of guilt, which nag at her conscience and cause her to have hallucinations. When she discovers Jagan hanging, she sees him everywhere and imagines the scene of his death. Qala is drawn to doom like a moth to the flame.
Does Qala Reunite With Her Mother?
Sadly, Qala does find Urmila, but only after she has passed away. She reaches out to her mother for support as she struggles with her mental health, but she doesn’t respond because she’s angry with her. Qala tries to commit suicide by ingesting pearls out of pain, but Sudha intervenes just in time to stop her. Urmila thinks her daughter may have hurt herself after hearing her mumbling about Jagan’s passing during a radio interview. She rushes to Calcutta, expecting the worst, where the doctor informs her of the patient’s failing health and suggests checking her into a mental hospital.
To everyone’s surprise, Urmila is adamant about returning with Qala because she wants to atone for her previous actions. She enters to her horror to find her daughter hanging dead, realising it is too late for her to save her. Qala had begun to imagine her snow-covered maternal home in her delirium, where she was reunited with Urmila and received her blessing. She eventually decides to commit suicide in the same way that Jagan did in order to go back home. Unfortunately, Qala only receives her mother’s love and approval after leaving the mortal world.
