# Qala (soundtrack)

Qala is the official soundtrack for the 2022 Indian psychological film Qala, directed by Anvita Dutt and produced by Clean Slate Filmz. The soundtrack was composed by Amit Trivedi, with lyrics by Varun Grover, Swanand Kirkire, and Kausar Munir. The chronology was done by Sagar Desai. The album gained much popularity for its fusion of classical Indian music and modern cinematic elements.

## Background

Qala is set in the 1940s, during the early days of the Hindi film industry. Trivedi aimed to create melodies that felt authentic to vintage Hindi film music yet were appealing to contemporary listeners. He studied the works of C. Ramchandra, S. D. Burman, and Naushad to inform his compositions. His focus was on Dutt's story, describing it as a "mother-daughter" story, and there was a real haunting quality to it ".
In an interview with Swati Chopra of "The Quint, when asked about the soundtrack's inspiration from Guru Dutt's filmography, Dutt stated, "We never specifically talked about any particular director or composer while working on the songs, because we didn't want anybody to be influenced. We only spoke about the character and the story".
The songs were composed in three days during a Goa staycation with Dutt and lyricist Swanand Kirkire. The script narration took one day, and the scoring took two. He also mentioned that he almost abandoned the project before finishing it.
To suit the early 1940s setting, the soundtrack avoided electronic instruments, instead opting for classical Indian instruments. They included the ⁣⁣tabla⁣⁣, ⁣⁣dholak⁣⁣, ⁣⁣rebab⁣⁣, ⁣⁣sitar⁣⁣, and ⁣⁣accordion⁣⁣. Sireesha Bhagavatula sang the songs, and Mallya called the experience "a golden opportunity" and expressed gratitude to Amit Travedi for "putting his faith in me." opportunity", and is thankful for Amit Travedi "putting his faith in me". Bengaluru-based musician Iman Das contributed additional vocals to two tracks.

## Songs

The album consists of eight tracks, blending various genres and vocals of prominent playback singers:
* "Ghode Pe Sawar" – Vocals by Sireesha Bhagavatula
* "Shauq" – Vocals by Swanand Kirkire, Sireesha Bhagavatula, and Shahid Mallya
* "Rubaiyaan" – Vocals by Shahid Mallya and Sireesha Bhagavatula
* "Nirbhau Nirvair" – Vocals by Shahid Mallya
* "Phero Na Najariya" – Vocals by Sireesha Bhagavatula
* "Udh Jaayega" – Vocals by Swanand Kirkire
* "Kahani Kya Hai" – Vocals by Amit Trivedi and Rupali Moghe
* "Bikta Hai Sach Yahan" – Vocals by Romy
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Dutt and Trivedi drew inspiration for the songs from the film's narrative. The ballad "Shauq" depicts the relationship between Qala's mother and a record executive. Dutt visualized the scene with the characters in a boat at night, the Howrah Bridge visible.
"Phero Na Najariya" is described as a song of redemption for Qala, and "Nirbhau Nirvair" portrays the competition between Qala and Jagan. "Udh Jayega" features imagery of death and freedom, playing after Jagan's death.
First-post writer Deepansh Duggal interpreted "Ghodey Pe Sawaar" as a critique of stalking in Hindi songs. It depicts Qala's rebellion. Trivedi used the accordion to evoke O. P. Nayyar's "Piya Piya Piya Mera Jiya Pukare". Anushka Sharma, the film's producer, had a cameo in the song.
"Rubaiyaan" was recorded but not included in the final film.

## Reception

Qala received positive reception. Deepansh Duggal noted that "the music is a character. There are times when it acts like an oracle prophesying future events". Vipin Nair stated that "Anvita Dutt makes up for the lack of songs in her [previously-released] debut movie with style!".
Manjeet Singh of Leisure Byte called the music "the core element of the film". Bhavya Sadhwani of India Times described the songs as "original and authentic". Anish Mohanty of Planet Bollywood felt that "Qala serves as a reminder of how Amit Trivedi is a gifted composer". Roktim Rajpal of India Today offered a more mixed review, stating that "Amit Trivedi tunes prove to be a mixed bag".
The soundtrack was praised by some new-age listeners for its "transcendental music and lyrics". "Ghodey Pe Sawaar" gained popularity, leading to cover versions by fans and celebrities, including Madhuri Dixit. A fan-made male version by Jainam Barot received mixed reactions.

## Accolades

| Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Music Direction -Songs | Amit Trivedi & Sagar Desai | Won |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Original Song | Amit Trivedi, Swanand Kirkire & Shahid Mallya for "Rubaaiyaan" | Won |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Playback Singer - Male | Shahid Mallya for "Rubaaiyaan" | Won |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Playback Singer - Male | Swanand Kirkire & Shahid Mallya for "Shauq" | Nominated |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Playback Singer - Female | Sireesha Bhagavatula for "Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Playback Singer - Female | Sireesha Bhagavatula for "Phero Na Najariya" | Won |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Lyricist | Amitabh Bhattacharya for"Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Lyricist | Swanand Kirkire for "Rubaaiyaan" | Won |
| 8th FOI Online Awards | Best Lyricist | Varun Grover for "Shauq" | Nominated |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Song Of The Year | Amit Trivedi, Varun Grover, Shahid Mallya, Sireesha Bhagavatula & Swanand Kirkire for "Shauq" | Won |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Lyricist Of The Year | Amitabh Bhattacharya for Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Won |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Composed and Arranged Song | Amit Trivedi for "Shauq" | Won |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Composed and Arranged Song | Amit Trivedi for "Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Composed and Arranged Song | Amit Trivedi for "Rubaaiyaan" | Nominated |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Composed and Arranged Song | Amit Trivedi for "Phero Na Najariya" | Nominated |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Written Song | Varun Grover for "Shauq" | Won |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Written Song | Swanand Kirkire for "Rubaaiyaan" | Nominated |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Written Song | Amitabh Bhattacharya for "Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Sung Song (Solo) | Shahid Mallya for "Rubaaiyaan" | Won |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Sung Song (Solo) | Sireesha Bhagavatula for"Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 17th RMIM Puraskaar | Best Sung Song (Duet or Group) | Shahid Mallya, Sireesha Bhagavatula & Swanand Kirkire for "Shauq" | Won |
| Showsha Reel Awards | Best Music (Film) | Amit Trivedi | Won |
| Showsha Reel Awards | Best Playback Singer - Male | Shahid Mallya for "Rubaaiyaan", "Shauq" & "Nirbhau Nirvair" | Won |
| Showsha Reel Awards | Best Playback Singer - Female | Sireesha Bhagavatula for"Ghodey Pe Sawar" & "Phero Na Najariya" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Album Of The Year | Whole Musical Team | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Song Of The Year | Amit Trivedi, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Sireesha Bhagavatula for "Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Song Of The Year | Amit Trivedi, Varun Grover, Shahid Mallya, Sireesha Bhagavatula & Swanand Kirkire for "Shauq" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Female Vocalist Of The Year | Sireesha Bhagavatula for "Phero Na Najariya" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Music Composer Of The Year | Amit Trivedi for "Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Music Composer Of The Year | Amit Trivedi for "Shauq" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Lyricist Of The Year | Amitabh Bhattacharya for "Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Lyricist Of The Year | Kausar Munir for "Phero Na Najariya" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Upcoming Female Vocalist Of The Year | Sireesha Bhagavatula for "Ghodey Pe Sawar" | Won |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Upcoming Female Vocalist Of The Year | Sireesha Bhagavatula for"Phero Na Najariya" | Nominated |
| 15th Mirchi Music Awards | Listener's Choice - Album Of The Year | Whole Team | Cancelled |