User Reviews

QISSA rightly showcases the ugly Indian psyche of a family being obsessed with only sons instead of daughters for many obvious reasons. Set in the post-independence era the subject still remains relevant in India and more specifically for regions like Punjab, where Girl foeticide is one of the key problems even in this much educated and more aware society of the 21st century.

A bold plot for Punjabi as well as Indian Cinema, QISSA certainly gives you the feeling of watching something brutally honest that has never been tried before here with such impactful intensity. Yes, it does remind you of the masterpiece from Pakistan titled BOL as far as the obsession for a son is concerned, but then finds its own individual path different from the one witnessed in that 'not to be missed gem' to clear the visible doubts.

Directed and co-written by Anup Singh, it's a disturbing tale of an eccentric father Umber Singh who after having a fourth girl in the family doesn't want to kill her but forces her to grow up, dress and behave like a boy only, ignoring all her bodily changes happening with the time in a much weird manner. The film begins with the bloody event of our Partition when the family has to shift to the Indian part after losing everything they had. And then focuses on the relationships alone going through many unexpected twists and turns leading to a serious shock coming just before the intermission as a director's master-stoke. The second half brings in a strictly unexpected supernatural turn for the viewers making the film a bit slow and sad too, taking away the hold it displayed in its initial hour especially for the common man sitting in the theater not able to grasp the multi-layered projection ending on a more thoughtful note.

In other words, despite being a visual cinematic experience, a first of its kind - bold subject in Indian films having a well-conceived (unusual) storyline and all brilliant performances, QISSA arguably remains more appealing to a specific section of viewers only appreciating the meaningful cinema as personally experienced watching the film in theater with some 30 odd Punjabis, who probably had only come listening the word 'Partition' and seeing 'Irrfan Khan playing a Sikh' in its promos as I strongly felt.

Having said that, I was really glad to see that even though the film was not about anything those 30 Punjabi speaking people had come for, it still successfully kept them engaged to its unique storyline in its first half, wherein they were all simply awestruck watching its twisted lead character and his insane intentions worrying more about the society instead of his own family.

However the scenario wasn't the same post intermission with the 'ghost component' thrown in (slowing down the pace to a large extent) which actually couldn't impress anyone among them and they began showing the restlessness by chatting loudly and checking their mobile phones shining bright in the almost empty theatre. The complex philosophical metaphors in the film's second hour couldn't reach them as desired missing the emotional connect and I even heard one in the group clearly categorizing the project as an "arty festival film – not for them".

Now talking about the brave attempt from the other technical & cinematic perspective, its indeed a well-shot, splendidly conceived and superbly acted film having an unconventional plot probably inspired from some true life events as it seems. The writer-director is able to write his poetry on the screen with the help of all fabulous performances from a well-chosen cast that actually owns the film from the front. Irrfan Khan (as Umber Singh) playing the eccentric wicked father performs the bizarre act convincingly, though one feels his Punjabi accent a bit compromising in some particular sequences. The exceptional actor actually wins you over completely in the first half much more than the later due to the reasons mentioned above. In fact the best part of his portrayal is that you never hate him for what he does to his family since he also loves them all from heart despite having that society- oriented wish to have a son.

Tillotama Singh (as Kanwar – the son/daughter) is equally effective as the suffering girl coming out of her shell towards the end playing it soulfully. Her cross gender act looks deliberate at first but then sinks in as the film progresses towards a more moving climax focusing on the two girls. Rasika Dugal (as Neeli) is simply outstanding playing it expressively as the innocent one standing in between the father and his son/daughter. Plus Tisca Chopra underplays the weak mother perfectly who is not able to protest against her husband's impractical moves as a typical Indian lady suppressed by her own upbringing.

Cinematography, background score and the soundtrack beautifully capture the right mood and essence of the tough subject pulling you into the world of its torn family. And few particular scenes don't easily get off your mind like the one where Umber Singh catches Neeli running away at night and then Kanwar baring her naked body to everyone passing by in despair.

Further, though beginning from the time of India's Partition, QISSA has nothing to do with the historical land partition in details. But it does deal with the sick partition in our minds thinking about a man and a woman or a son and a daughter as two unequal social identities with one owning the other even in this present so-called evolved society.

A well-written script with an honest performance by the cast, the story telling has an Indian folk tale touch.

Tillotama Shome is great with her performance, the scenes with the mother and father are perfect and heart touching, and it is because of her performance that this movie comes out as a subtle art film rather than a Yash raj melodrama.

The movie talks about the how the desire of having a boy child was prevalent in the past and to what level the people can be obsessed with such pity things and destroy their and others happy peaceful life.

Do watch and support the movie, the movie perfectly encapsulates the sense of an Indie classic(that is a new story line) and not an artificial work like "ship of Theseus".

What if you were the prisoner of desires? What if your construction was nothing but a quicksand of lies? All you gain is a house of cards. A ghost, so lonely by the defeat of his realism walks down the Punjab territory. Alas, the land gets bisected by a border, so violent! Such is the tale of Tillotama Shome's Kanwar being morally stabbed behind the curtain of sexuality. Anup Singh's Indian-German film 'Qissa-The Tale of a Lonely Ghost' is a cinematic sensation that goes down deep into your subconscious.

In the hour of Partition, a Sikh resident of the now Pakistan seeks shelter in Punjab, India with his wife and three not so desired for daughters. Thus is what Irrfan Khan's Umber Singh, wishing for a boy out of Mehar's (Tisca Chopra) womb. When the fourth daughter is born, he persists on bringing her up as a son. Kanwar, in disguise of a son prepares herself as a boy. An adolescent love gets injected in the form of Neeli (Rasika Dugal) followed by a marriage. The beginning of a new relationship calls for the end of what was so far a sexual illusion.

Director Anup Singh does true justice in maintaining the patience of being brave as he successfully makes the non-chronological phantasm work in a meter of realism as well as surrealism. The second half of the story takes a sudden realistic turn as it is revealed in the posters of the film. If realism is the false fall, surrealism gives the definite land in the plot.

With the evergreen brilliance of Irrfan Khan, the acting has reached a summit of what one can hardly comment about. The soliloquy presented to the dead sands is like a perpetual cycle of fate that cries in the tone of,"Naa aadmi, naa aurat. Naa jeev, naa pret." Tillotama Shome, famous for her serious portrayals has once again nourished the excellence of her virtue. With an innocent boldness and an intense artistry, her character is like a flame, the delusion of which stays on even after it gets extinguished. Tisca Chopra and Rasika Dugal has also contributed their magnificence in sculpting this master class.

A warm tone cinematography throughout the film along with the immaculate sound mixing has successfully provided for balancing the tension with the 'what happens next' feeling. A well edited synchronization with the proper synthesis of music has given the film a strong circumference.

The audience leaves the theatres with some serious question marks haunting their grey scale. The well cooked delicacy of a sexually exposed Kanwar with the fog of Neeli's existence is the best abstract that gets nailed into your brain. The posters came out with a Mira Nair quote terming the film as a "masterpiece." 'Qissa-The Tale of a Lonely Ghost' is not a onetime watch. Watch, leave and watch again

Part fairytale, part fantasy, part folklore; Qissa weaves together historical ties, family bonds, issues of identity, belonging and the supernatural, to create a film that takes you on a journey that's unlike any cinematic adventure you've embarked on before.

Set in the Punjab and beginning at the start of Independence in 1947, the film is a metaphor for many of the experiences that Indians and Pakistani's faced during this bleak period, but rather than presenting the situation from a political perspective, it focuses on the tale of one family and the deep, dark secret that haunts them.

The moment she is born Kanwar's father declares her to be a boy, bringing her up as his son. With such a lie there comes burden and over the years we see Kanwar develop and grow, trying to come to terms with his/her alternate gender while the father figure (played by Irrfan Khan) deals with the weight of his actions.

From the moment Qissa begins, through to its conclusion, every part of your senses are engaged. Visually the production is stunning. The landscape of the Punjab is depicted as beautiful yet barren. The washed out colourisation adds an ethereal feel, giving the film its fairytale quality. The haunting soundtrack is the soul of the movie, melodic yet mystical, it alludes to the unearthly feelings that engulf each character. Emotionally this films entwines you physically and mentally - there's an urgency to reach out onto the screen and put your arms around Kanwar, knowing there is no one she can turn to, and morally it questions your beliefs about what is acceptable when it comes to upholding family values.

To pick out an actor and praise them for their performance would make the others seem insignificant when in truth, every member of this ensemble cast is worthy of a mention. It's not as easy as saying 'the best performance of Irrfan's career' or 'Tillotama Shome masterfully plays a boy and a girl': these are actors who are defining the boundaries of acting itself, presenting to what is largely a conservative audience in Indian, new possibilities.

The casting of Irrfan Khan, a Muslim actor who does not speak Punjabi into such a robust Sikh character while Tillotama who plays Kanwar is herself Bengali, again taking on a language that was unfamiliar to her, gives this film an additional layer of intelligence. The language used in the film alters in dialect to reflect different time periods, which itself brings another dimension to contemporary Punjabi filmmaking.

One of the highlights of Qissa is the tender depiction of friendship and love between Kanwar and Neeli, the girl that he marries. The portrayal of the warmth, respect and desires the two women have for each other is both honest and sensitive.

The folklore element of the movie is at times hard to spot because it feels so natural. Even though the subheading to the film is 'The Tale Of A Lonely Ghost', when you are watching it you don't always recognise the spectres and shadows that accompany each character. Dealing with the supernatural may seem far-fetched, yet because it's done so in context, at no point do you question the authenticity; it is engrained in the script.

12 years in the making, Anup Singh's courageous production Qissa is part funded by Indian, German, French and Dutch investors and as a result it contains the essential ingredients that will make this a crossover success for Western and non-Western audiences. Pushing the boundaries of Indian and Punjabi pictures, it's an example of cinema that has the power to define modern filmmaking.

I had a chance to see the film "Qissa" while it screened at the South Asian Film Festival in New york. Not knowing the premise of the film, what struck me most was the depth of the different characters portrayed in the story. Actors Irfan Khan and Tillotama Shome displayed a beautiful and sensitive chemistry playing the father-daughter duo, replete with complex emotional struggles and seemingly unsurmountable conflicts. The interpersonal relationships between the characters were touching and real despite the darkness that surrounded them. Tillotama's gender-transcending portrayal of a complex and conflicted "Kanwar" was seamless and simply blew me away!

Anup Singh's "Qissa" is one of those movies which are not meant for the mass but for a specific set of people who are well-aware of the theories of symbolism, sociology and above all, psychology. The plot is a direct interpretation of King Dhrupad's story from the Mahabharata blended with Freud's theory of Id, Ego and Subconscious.

Speaking of acting, Irrfan Khan is just brilliant again, Tillotama Shome is flawless. Tisca Chopra is perfect and Rasika Dugal is stunning.

Anup Singh and Madhuja Mukherjee's screenplay is the best gift we get from the movie.

The background score by Beatrice Thiriet and Manish J Tipu goes along with the slow pace of the movie but not very apt considering the Punjabi background of the movie. But the songs are brilliant, got a flavor of Lohri and the Punjabi Tappas.

I couldn't relate the landscape. Punjab hasn't got that much of hilly terrains.

Cinematography by Sebastian Edschmid is simply superb.

We need more movies like this even considering the fact that it's not for the commercial sector of the industry. Movies like this are essential to understand cinema and it's theories. It is a pride that Nandan, Kolkata has got a screening of this feature.

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Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost (A) Hindi -------- my Rating: ★★★ HEAD SCRATCHING CLIMAX

STRENGTHS:- * Trailer: attracts to watch. * Story Screenplay and direction: very good script for * Casting and performances especially by Irfan Khan....

WEAKNESSES:- * Tisca's performance expected a lot but not much to see... * Last 20 minutes confuses the audience.....

FINAL VERDICT:- * Overall.. it is a super natural flick gives a strong message for a male dominant society in India with a head scratching climax and power packed performances. I liked Rasika Dugal's acting in the second half.... So go for a one time watch

Umber Singh is a Sikh who loses everything during the separation of India in 1947 and is forced to leave his homeland. He obsessively wishes for a male heir. When his fourth daughter is born, he decides to wage a fight against destiny.

Director: Anup Singh Writers: Madhuja Mukherjee, Anup Singh Stars: Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra, Tillotama Shome | See full cast and crew »

Iam still struggling to process the movie, its unbelievably dark, deep and has lots of layers, which you wont understand at first.( At least i didnt). I was hooked right from the beginning and were really intrigued to know how the story unfolds. Its one of these rare masterpieces, which you leaves you clueless at the beginning, but after rewatching you slowly start to comprehend the concept behind it. Iam aware, that this movie might be not suitable for the broader audience, cause it demands patience and interest for folklore& different storytelling, but its worth watching and i can recommend this movie to every movie lover! It will strengthen your understanding for movies on a different level! This is the first punjabi movie Ive ever watched and iam glad that it turned out to be a masterpiece.

Its a story of one unfortunate irrational mind which produces a situation which destroys everyone. If the challenge the nature , it's bound to be a catastrophe and in this movie its a domino effect.

The character played by Irrfan is undoubtedly cannot be played and executed by someone other than Irrfan himself. He is a true artist and words are less to describe the versatility he chooses in his film carrier. Kanwar played by Tilotima Shome is also well done. The character is living in self guilt and humility at the same time and its only theater artists that can wear this sheen to showcase their capability.

Honestly I had this movie for a long time with me but did not happen to see and when I did - I was just silent for some time. It leaves with thoughts and admire the way this is being narrated. The climax could have been much better and a little pacey. It dragged a bit in the end but till the half time its an interesting , well paced, ready to fire kind of buildup is achieved. You will enjoy as long as you don't die for mainstream only.