Written and directed by Anuparna Roy, migrant and aspiring actress Thooya navigates Mumbai by leveraging beauty and wit, occasionally trading intimacy for opportunity. When she sublets her sugar daddy’s upscale apartment to Swetha, a fellow migrant working a corporate job, the two women from seemingly different worlds begin sharing more than just living space. Starring: Naaz Shaikh, Sumi Baghel, Bhusan Shimpi, Ravi S Mann, Pritam Pilania and Lovely Singh.
The first thing that stands out about Songs of Forgotten Trees is how purposefully and distinctively earnest Anuparna Roy’s style is. It unwaveringly exists in the everyday, no glitz, glamour or shying away from life’s imperfections or quiet moments. Quiet is definitely a key word with Songs of Forgotten Trees and likely to be a divisive factor for audiences. It will work for those who are willing to patiently unpack its layers and the emotions which lie between its words.
It’s throwing back to a time of simpler, wholesome cinema, to simply explore human connection. Portraying how these two women bond over their boredom, disillusionment and exasperation with their daily lives. The progression can be somewhat messy, and it does lean into its quietness a little too much at times, but there are also a lot of interesting layers beneath that. Particularly when it comes to the treatment of women, who are often, especially in societies like that of Songs of Forgotten Trees, seen more as objects and treated as less than. The way that it casually captures that disrespect, double standard, and predatory behaviour is well done.
Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel both give excellent performances which perfectly match the tone of Roy’s direction. They’re charming, relatable and deliver their portrayals in a greatly understated manner, which allows them to build their connection organically. There’s a mix of sweetness and sadness to their bond, they help each other take a long look at their lives, and think about where there are versus where they want to be.
Songs of Forgotten Trees is an understated, touching exploration of female friendships, and womanhood, living in a patriarchal society. Its intensely quiet, unassuming style won’t work for everyone but for those who have the patience for it, they’ll find something surprisingly tender. The style is extremely natural with a pensive touch, the cinematography from Debjit Samanta has a reserved simplicity to it. It may not have given itself the space to truly delve into all the layers it was touching upon, but it had very lovely intentions and Anuparna Roy truly committed to the style and tone.
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