Songs of Paradise, directed by Danish Renzu, is Amazon Prime Video’s latest release. The film is set in the beautiful valleys of Kashmir and narrates the tale of Kashmir’s first female singer, Raj Begum. This musical drama features Saba Azad as the young singer, personified in the film as Noor Begum, and Soni Razdan as her older self. It is a slow-paced but simple story that takes you away from mainstream Bollywood. It attempts to take you back to the days when girls could only dream of making a name for themselves. Read our Songs Of Paradise review here.

The singer who challenged patriarchy through her voice

Noor Begum wasn’t just an artist. She was a storm, a wave of change, the flag-bearer of freedom. Back when girls could only sing lullabies in private, she dared to sing on the radio. Saba Azad plays the young Noor Begum, who catches the eye of her music teacher (Shishir Sharma) and is pushed to join a radio competition. Even though she is scared, hesitant, and concerned about how her family would react, Noor Begum knows this is her golden chance. Soon, she starts recording for Radio Kashmir along with Azad Maqbool (Zain Khan Durrani), a well-known poet and lyricist. In no time, her voice becomes the magical voice that echoes through the valley, but society fails to accept a female artist and shames her and her family.

Despite the hardships faced by Raj Begum in a patriarchal, she did not give up. She inspired many girls to dream and continued to fight her way up to the top.

The cast and music add to the picturesque background

Both Saba Azad and Soni Razdan are great in their roles of portraying the iconic Raj Begum. Saba brings her young innocence to the screen, while Soni Razdan brings her wisdom, elegance, and experience. Zain Khan Durrani is charming and endearing as Azad and makes for a great addition to the story. The supporting cast, including Zeba Chaddha, Lillete Dubey, Taaruk Raina, Shishir Sharma, Lalit Parimoo, and Armaan Khera, adds an interesting angle through their roles. Along with the music, which is the life of the story, the valleys of Kashmir will have your heart. The movie is slow-paced and doesn’t go through too many highs and lows. But the acting, background, and music bring out an elegant simplicity.

Can you watch Songs Of Paradise with your family?: Yes, you can watch it with your family. The film does not feature any explicit or abusive content.

Songs Of Paradise is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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