Songs of Paradise

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Songs of Paradise
Songs of Paradise Poster.jpg
Official release poster
Directed by Danish Renzu
Written by Danish Renzu
Produced by Ritesh Sidhwani
Farhan Akhtar
Shafat Qazi
Danish Renzu
Starring
CinematographyVincenzo Condorelli
Edited byHemanti Sarkar
Music by Peter Gregson
Production
companies
Excel Entertainment
Apple Tree Pictures
Renzu Films
Distributed by Amazon Prime Video
Release date
  • 29 August 2025 (2025-08-29)
Country India
Languages Urdu
Kashmiri

Songs Of Paradise is a 2025 Indian biographical musical drama film directed by Danish Renzu [1] [2] The film is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Shafat Qazi and Danish Renzu, with a screenplay by Danish Renzu, Sunayana Kachroo and dialogues by Niranjan Iyengar. [3] The lead role is played by Saba Azad, [4] [5] [6] Soni Razdan and Zain Khan Durrani. The film also stars Taaruk Raina, Lillete Dubey, Sheeba Chaddha, Shishir Sharma, and Lalit Parimoo. [3] This story follows the journey of a Kashmiri woman who dreams of becoming a singer, inspired by the music of Raj Begum. Raj Begum, known as the Melody Queen of Kashmir, was a Padma Shri awardee and a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. [3] In a recent announcement on Variety, Excel Entertainment came on board as producers for the film. [7] It premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 29 August 2025. [8]

Contents

Premise

The movie narrates the tale of the Kashmiri artists, their struggles, and eventual success, regardless of the challenges. The plot is set in Kashmir and showcases the area's music, culture, and history. [9] [10]

Cast

Production

Saba Azad was cast to play the part of a Kashmiri up-and-coming vocalist in the film, who draws inspiration from a Kashmiri vocalist Raj Begum. The filmmaker disclosed that he enlisted Saba Azad for the main role as the actress is also a musician and originates from Kashmir. [3]

The shooting of the movie took place in various regions of Kashmir and completed on 22 October 2022. [1] [12]

Saba shared a glimpse of her on-screen look in the film on her Instagram, where she can be seen standing in front of a microphone, dressed in traditional attire with a backdrop of musicians playing musical instruments like Sarangi and Santoor. [13]

Release

Songs of Paradise was released on Amazon Prime Video on 29 August 2025. [14]

Reception

Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and stated that "‘Songs of Paradise’ is a poetic film that moves you with its sheer simplicity. Set against the backdrop of Kashmir in the 50s and 60s, it tells its story with honesty and grace." [15] Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times gave 3 stars out of 5 and said that "Overall, Songs of Paradise may not rewrite the rules of biographical cinema, but it hums a tune sweet enough to linger." [16] Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India observed that "Danish Renzu films on Padma Shri Raj Begum, Kashmir’s first female playback singer, presents music without quite exploring it." [17]

Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com awarded 3 stars out of 5 and observed that "Songs Of Paradise is the story of a female achiever that needed to be told, just as her songs of love and longing deserve to be rediscovered and shared with music aficionados." [18] Shubhra Gupta rated it 2/5 stars and said that "Saba Azad’s Noor Begum comes across as a young woman of the 50s, not an actor trying to do period, the costuming and the body-language feeling as if it could well have belonged to that era." [19] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in writes her review that "Except for a flare-up or two, the 106-minute movie is an understated affair, finding its own voice in the gorgeous songs that linger all the way to the closing credits. Renzu replaces outrage, an emotion inevitably associated with works on Kashmir, with restrained remembrance for a rare moment of triumph." [20]

Aishwarya Vasudevan of OTT Play rated it 3/5 stars and said that "Songs of Paradise celebrates Noor Begum’s rise from silence to Kashmiri music icon, with strong performances and scenic charm, though the narrative softens her struggles, leaving a muted impact." [21] Shreyanka Mazumdar of News 18 gave it 3 stars out of 5 and commented that "Songs of Paradise honours Raj Begum through Zeeba Akhtar’s journey in Kashmir, with Saba Azad and Soni Razdan bringing their A game." [22] Vinamra Mathur of Firstpost aslo gave 3 stars out of 5 and stated that "Songs of Paradise feels like the right attempt to deflate all the noise and let music do the talking. How far the story of Raj Begum will travel is a question for tomorrow, at least someone attempted to tell it today." [23]

Kusumika Das of Times Now rated it 3/5 stars and said that "Songs of Paradise is not a loud film. It doesn’t try to shock or over-dramatise. It moves at its own gentle pace, asking you to pause and listen. While it leaves you wishing for more detail in certain parts, the sincerity of the performances and the music make it a film worth watching." [24] Troy Ribeiro of Free Press Journal gave it 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "This film is not a glossy spectacle, nor does it pretend to be. It is a tender portrait of a woman who dared to sing when silence was safer. Its strength lies in the performances and the haunting music that carries Noor Begum’s journey. Its weaknesses, occasional narrative flatness and missed cinematic opportunities, are noticeable but forgivable." [25] Prachi Arya of India Today gave it 3 stars out 5 and said that "'Songs of Paradise', beautifully blends Kashmir's breathtaking landscapes with its rich musical heritage, tracing the inspiring journey of Noor Begum, a woman who defied patriarchy through her voice. Anchored by powerful performances and soulful music, the film is a poignant ode to resilience and art." [26]

References

  1. 1 2 "Saba Azad wraps up shoot of Song of Paradise". Cinema Express . 5 October 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  2. "Hrithik Roshan's girlfriend, Saba Azad to be seen as the main lead in Danish Renzu's Songs of Paradise". firstindia.co.in. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Saba Azad to play Raj Begum in Danish Renzu's Songs Of Paradise - Exclusive". The Times of India. 25 September 2022. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  4. "'Rocket Boys 2' To 'Songs Of Paradise', Saba Azad Wraps Up Three Projects In A Row". news.abplive.com. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  5. "Hrithik Roshan's girlfriend Saba Azad to play lead role in Danish Renzu's Songs Of Paradise; deets inside". PINKVILLA. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  6. Srivastava, Ratan (26 September 2022). "Danish Renzu's Songs Of Paradise will include Saba Azad, Hrithik Roshan's girlfriend, in the title role". Bollywood News | Movie Reviews. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  7. Ramachandran, Naman (30 January 2024). "Excel Entertainment Boards Kashmir-Set Music and Woman Empowerment Tale 'Songs of Paradise'". Variety. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  8. "Songs Of Paradise Trailer: Saba Azad And Soni Razdan's Musical Revolution". NDTV. 25 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  9. "Saba Azad shares a heartfelt post, as she wraps up her upcoming film 'Songs of Paradise'". Zee News. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  10. "Songs Of Paradise: सबा आजाद ने दिखाई अपनी अपकमिंग फिल्म की झलक, दानिश रेंजू हुए एक्ट्रेस के मुरीद". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 5 October 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  11. "Saba Azad says the attention associated her personal life 'bothers' her".
  12. Bandyopadhyay, Bohni (6 October 2022). "Saba Azad Teases Her First Look from Songs of Paradise, Calls it a 'Special Film'". News18 . Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  13. Bandyopadhyay, Bohni (6 October 2022). "Saba Azad Teases Her First Look from Songs of Paradise, Calls it a 'Special Film'". News18 . Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  14. "Songs of Paradise OTT release date announced: When and where to watch Soni Razdan, Saba Azad's musical drama". The Economic Times. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  15. Srivastava, Abhishek (29 August 2025). "Songs of Paradise Movie Review: Saba Azad breathes life into Kashmir's forgotten melody". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  16. Suri, Rishabh (29 August 2025). "Songs of Paradise movie review: Saba Azad stars in this tribute to melody queen of Kashmir, that plays it too safe". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  17. Desai, Rahul (29 August 2025). "'Songs of Paradise' Movie Review: A Biopic Lost Between The Lines". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  18. Gahlot, Deepa (29 August 2025). "Songs of Paradise Review: A Singer's Story". Rediff.com. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  19. Gupta, Shubhra (29 August 2025). "Songs of Paradise movie review: Saba Azad shows pleasing strength and vulnerability". The Indian Express. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  20. Ramnath, Nandini (29 August 2025). "'Songs of Paradise' review: A demure personal revolution with gorgeous music". Scroll.in. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  21. Vasudevan, Aishwarya (29 August 2025). "Songs of Paradise review: Saba Azad carries a melodious story that should have soared". OTT Play. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  22. Mazumdar, Shreyanka (29 August 2025). "Songs Of Paradise Review: Saba Azad Shines, Soni Razdan Brings Gravitas To A Musical That Misses Its Depth". News 18. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  23. Mathur, Vinmara (29 August 2025). "'Songs Of Paradise' movie review: Soni Razdan and Saba Azad's telling of the Melody Queen of Kashmir is imperfect but important". Firstpost. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  24. Das, Kusumika (29 August 2025). "Songs Of Paradise Movie Review: Soni Razdan, Saba Azad Starrer Is A Tender Ode To Kashmir's First Female Playback Singer". Times Now. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  25. Ribeiro, Troy (29 August 2025). "Songs Of Paradise Review: Saba Azad, Soni Razdan's Film Is A Slow-Burn Tribute To Kashmir's Unsung Melody Queen". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  26. Arya, Prachi (29 August 2025). "Songs of Paradise review: Saba delivers, Soni Razdan adds soul to Kashmiri saga". India Today. Retrieved 29 August 2025.