Qala is the official soundtrack to the 2022 Indian psychological drama of the same name, directed by Anvita Dutt, and produced by Clean Slate Filmz. The soundtrack was composed by Amit Trivedi, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Varun Grover, Swanand Kirkire and Kausar Munir. The drama's chronology was by Sagar Desai. The album is known for its fusion of classical Indian music and modern cinematic elements.
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 musical films while appealing to contemporary listeners. He studied the works of C. Ramchandra, S. D. Burman, and Naushad to inform his compositions, focusing on Dutt's "mother-daughter" story, which he felt had a "real haunting quality."
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, opting for classical Indian instruments. These included the â£â£tablaâ£â£, â£â£dholakâ£â£, â£â£rebabâ£â£, â£â£sitarâ£â£, and â£â£accordionâ£â£. Sireesha Bhagavatula sang the songs, and Mallya described this experience as a "golden opportunity" and expressed gratitude to Amit Trivedi for trusting her. Bengaluru-based musician Pandit Iman Das contributed additional vocals to two tracks.
The album consists of eight tracks, each designed to reflect the film's period setting and emotional depth:
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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, with 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.
Deepansh Duggal of First-post interpreted "Ghode Pe Sawaar" as a critique of stalking in Hindi songs, depicting Qala's rebellion. Trivedi incorporated an accordion melody reminiscent of O. P. Nayyar's signature style to evoke nostalgia. Anushka Sharma, the film's producer, made a brief cameo in the music video for "Ghode Pe Sawar".
"Rubaiyaan" was recorded but not included in the final film.
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 wrote 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 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.