Mumbai, Aug 30
Actress Soni Razdan, who essays the role of legendary Kashmiri singer Raj Begum in the recently released streaming film ‘Songs of Paradise’, has shared that she likes to focus on her part in the script, and by the virtue of it, she becomes “myopic†when it comes to her vision for the whole film.
The actress recently spoke with IANS during the promotional campaign of ‘Songs of Paradise’. The actress shares the character of Raj Begum with actress Saba Azad, as the latter portrays her younger version.
When asked how she planned on doing the character differently compared to Saba Azad’s interpretation, she told IANS, “I had no idea what Saba was doing and obviously being actors, at least me, I speak for myself, I become a little myopic when I get a script. I look at my role. So what Saba had was there, I read it, but then after that I forgot about it. I was focused on myselfâ€.
‘Songs of Paradise’ is inspired by the life of Padma Shri awardee, Raj Begum, and the lead character is portrayed by Saba Azad and Soni Razdan across two time periods.
She further mentioned, “So, I would only look at my scenes and what was motivating my character, the emotional graph of my scene. So, I think that is what was my driving force. And so luckily for me also, Saba shot before I did. So, just two different time periods. So, we didn't have to shoot together. And then when I came in, Danish (the director) used to help me a little bit by telling me that, ‘Saba has done this, Sabha has done that’. So, that was helpfulâ€.
“But most of the time, I think it came from the scene itself and the emotional graph of the scene and what I was doing with the other characters in the scene. That was really what pushed me to, and that was what gave me the characterization that finally didâ€, she added.
Presented by Excel Entertainment and produced by Apple Tree Pictures Production and Renzu Films Production, ‘Songs of Paradise’ is available to stream on Prime Video.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Raj Begum was such a legendary artist from Kashmir. Glad to see her story being told on a platform like Prime Video. Will definitely watch this weekend! 🎵
Soni Razdan is such an underrated actress. Her performances are always so nuanced and authentic. Looking forward to seeing her portrayal of the older Raj Begum.
It's refreshing to see actresses from different generations working together on the same character. This collaborative approach probably adds depth to the portrayal.
While I appreciate the artistic process, I wonder if more coordination between the two actresses might have created a more seamless transition between the younger and older versions of the character. Just a thought!
Great to see Indian cinema exploring the lives of real cultural icons. The Kashmir connection makes this particularly interesting given the region's rich musical heritage.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.