Mumbai

Veteran actor Soni Razdan says she was fascinated by the idea of a biopic on legendary Kashmiri singer Raj Begum, whom she initially knew little about but came to admire as a farsighted artist who defied odds to leave behind a lasting legacy.

Filmmaker Danish Renzu’s “Songs of Paradise” is inspired by the life and journey of Raj Begum and features Razdan as well as actor-musician Saba Azad in the lead roles.

The movie, which premiered on Prime Video on Friday, sees them play the character of Noor Begum in two different time periods.

Razdan, who had earlier worked with Renzu on several music videos, said he once told her about his film on Raj Begum.

"He told me about her, I said, ‘oh my gosh, how come I didn't know about her? I thought it was a fascinating idea. He sent me all the research material. As I was going through it and listening to her songs, I started thinking about the character," Razdan told PTI in an interview.

Raj Begum began her musical journey singing at weddings before emerging as one of Kashmir’s most powerful female voices. With her father’s encouragement, she joined Radio Kashmir in 1954, where her soaring, melodious voice made her a defining presence until her retirement in 1986.

Celebrated for singing straight from the heart, she became a symbol of freedom and cultural expression for Kashmiri women.

In recognition of her contribution, she received the Padma Shri in 2002, the State Award from the Jammu and Kashmir government in 2009, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2013. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 89.

Razdan believes that Raj Begum was not just a singer but a pioneer whose resilience and dedication opened doors for women in Kashmir’s cultural landscape.

“The fact that she did what she did at a time when nobody was helping her and all the odds were against her… She fought for that. She realised during the course of her journey that things were much bigger than just herself.

"She was paving the way, opening doors for generations to come. I think she must have been so aware of the responsibility she carried — that’s the kind of person she was. She was a very farsighted person. That was her whole life.”

Instead of getting overwhelmed by the responsibility of playing a renowned figure, the veteran actor said she immersed herself in the songs and the emotions of the character and trusted the process.

"I just left it to fate. I don't really overthink it at all. I relied on Danish a lot and I think the whole atmosphere around shooting in Kashmir on the locations, everybody in the crew was Kashmiri. So, it just helped to kind of give us that support system that you need as an artist doing something like this.

"Of course, it is a big responsibility but you can't think about that when you're doing your work. You just think of what you have to do and the scene and the emotions and all those things. I think everything else sort of just kind of falls into place at some point. That's how it works for me, at least."

Narratives from conflict zones often dwell on violence and politics, leaving the experiences of everyday life unheard. With “Songs of Paradise”, Razdan hopes to shift that gaze.

"We always focus on the obvious drama. But there's always the unobvious drama, which plays out in people's lives. People just live their lives as they always do. And I think that always gets neglected.

"Even if you see films on World War II. There are very few films like ‘The Book Thief’, where it was about a little girl wanting to read when books were being burnt in a small town. The thing is that these are stories, which we don't see, need to be told. So hopefully more of them and Danish is going to start the trend now."

Razdan said the support Raj Begum received from men, including her father and mentors, breaks stereotypes and shows how they helped her overcome barriers.

“Especially for a place like Kashmir, where you think that men are going to be very patriarchal, society is regressive, and God knows what else. I think it breaks those stereotypes, for sure. And tells us a true story of how, actually, men can be very supportive, especially when so many odds are stacked against a woman,” she said.

Presented by Excel Entertainment and produced by Apple Tree Pictures Production and Renzu Films Production, "Songs of Paradise" is written by Renzu along with Niranjan Iyengar and Sunayana Kachroo.

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It also features Zain Khan Durrani, Sheeba Chaddha, Taaruk Raina and Lillete Dubey in pivotal roles.