‘This film really was a schooling in Kashmiri music,’ Azad says of portraying pivotal years of renowned vocalist Raj Begum in the film
Filmmaker Danish Renzu was listening to “Kya Kya Wanai” by Raj Begum, driving around Los Angeles when he first felt the spark to make Songs of Paradise. Now streaming on Prime Video, the film is based on the life and times of the first female vocalist at Radio Kashmir who rose to fame in the Seventies. “The lyrics of the song showcase her struggle and the obstacles she faced as an artist,” Renzu says.
Led by a stellar cast featuring actor-musicians Saba Azad as the artist’s younger self, and Taaruk Raina as Rumi, a student who interviews her, alongside Soni Razdan as an older Begum, the film’s deliberate pacing and straightforward narrative are a breath of fresh air when it comes to stories from Kashmir.
Renzu worked on the script with writers Niranjan Iyengar and longtime collaborator Sunayana Kachroo. He tells Rolling Stone India, “The story really germinated from her music. Her songs are love songs, melancholic yet beautiful ghazals, and I felt I had to make a film around them. As I read more about her life, I was amazed by her courage. At a time when women had limited rights, she sang fearlessly, broke barriers, and her powerful voice opened doors for future female artists.”
That perspective came from history, and Renzu intended Songs of Paradise to also serve as a documentation of sorts of Kashmir’s musical heritage for present times. Weary of “seeing the same narratives again and again” representing the valley, Renzu says he wanted to “celebrate a musician who few outside Kashmir even knew about.”
The filmmaker—who also has his own record label, Renzu Music, to spotlight Kashmiri musicians—feels that “Kashmir’s musical heritage has been disappearing.” He adds, “Because of decades of conflict and the lack of archival facilities, many recordings by Kashmiri musicians have been lost—we can’t even trace songs that were once recorded. Songs of Paradise becomes a platform to revive that legacy, to preserve and celebrate music that might otherwise have vanished.”
To that end, Kashmiri vocalist Masrat Un Nissa has been in the spotlight for leading most of the songs for the film soundtrack, which released last week. In a 2024 interview, Masrat told Rolling Stone India how it was “daunting” to imitate Raj Begum’s voice, one that was widely regarded as the Melody Queen of Kashmir, for Songs of Paradise. On the soundtrack, Masrat leads versions of Begum’s famous songs, including “Dil Tsooran,” “Karsa Myon,” and more, recomposed by Abhay Rustum Sopori. “Despite the difficulties, I put my utmost effort into doing justice to these assignments,” the singer says.
She credits Sopori and Renzu for “clear and precise directions” when it came to singing for the narrative. Although she wasn’t watching any early scenes from Songs of Paradise to prepare her songs, Masrat says she watched some footage later and says it made her “feel proud to be part of this film.”
When it came to finding the right actors to play the character of Zeba Akhtar, Renzu enlisted Saba Azad (known for her work in theater as well as one half of nu-disco/funk duo Madboy/Mink). Razdan essays the role of Noor Begum, the older version of Akhtar. Renzu says, “Saba, in particular, did an incredible job learning Kashmiri songs and delivering dialogues with such proficiency.”
By her own admission, Azad says she hadn’t been familiar with Raj Begum’s work until Songs of Paradise came her way. She tells Rolling Stone India, “[It] is a bit embarrassing as a musician for me.” She adds, “This film really was a schooling in Kashmiri music. Raj ji had a repertoire of live recordings that most artists would take several lifetimes to put together. I’m so thankful to this film for giving me an opportunity to peek into the life and times of this legend.”
Familiar with Renzu’s previous films like The Illegal, Azad praises the filmmaker’s “gentle way of telling the story as a quiet observer.” The director says it was “very important” to cast musicians in the film. “I discovered Saba through one of her posts where she sang a beautiful Punjabi song, and I immediately felt she was the right fit. She not only carries the look of that era but also has a strong command of Urdu, which was essential,” Renzu says.
Azad, for her part, says her music background helped in “small ways.” She adds, “Like keeping time while filming, singing along when I was supposed to be lip-syncing may have also helped to make it look a little more real.”
Renzu brought in Raina to play Rumi and feels he was “almost playing himself” in the film, exuding a genuine love for music. Raina says he signed on to Songs of Paradise because it was a chance to be part of a story from the valley and connect to his Kashmiri roots.
When asked if he drew from being a musician for the role, Raina says he brought his “absolute love for all music of the world” to playing Rumi. “It [being a musician and actor] helps you feel more, resonate more, and of course, even sing and play along yourself,” he adds.
Both actors and the director say they’ve been overwhelmed by the response to Songs of Paradise. Raina says, “I took my bua (aunt) to see the film and I could see her getting emotional as she saw the Kashmir she lived and grew up in, and heard the songs she and her friends sang and heard.”
Azad says the reception “puts the faith back” in knowing “the audiences are open to different ways of storytelling.” She adds, “That in itself is a triumph for us. Those who have seen the film have been exceedingly kind. My inbox is full of messages from Kashmiris, and that’s the biggest win for us.”
Amid the reviews and deep dives into the music of Songs of Paradise, Renzu doubled down on his penchant for Kashmiri music and storytelling—Renzu Music signed a partnership deal with Warner Music India, and he says there’s more on the horizon with films as well. He says, “I’m a film director first, with an immense passion for storytelling. Music has always been an integral part of my films, and even my next project is centered on music. In many ways, the two are interconnected in my craft. I’d say music finds my stories, or perhaps it’s the other way around.”