Skip to main content

Film Review: 'Kagaz Ki Kashti' is a beautiful tribute to Jagjit Singh that doesn't overdo it


Whenever Bollywood tries its hand at delivering a biopic, it inevitably comes across looking like a work of glorified fiction (think Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju). There is a transparent attempt to create an entertaining film that does mind foregoing factual information. In the bargain, audiences get a filtered version of the subject’s reality. Kaagaz Ki Kashti, we were delighted to find, took none of those liberties. Everything we saw on screen was a result of serious reportage.

Kaagaz Ki Kashti is a biopic based on the life and career of Jagjit Singh. The musical maestro known for popularizing the classical Ghazal had quite an interesting story, and parts of it have been depicted on screen. The film combines real accounts, interview footages, videos and pictures set in the background of Jagjit Singh’s compositions. We heard a lot of praise for the film and its radical departure from what Bollywood brands as biopics. And, it naturally had our curiosity.

Diving right into it, the film wastes no time on a linear narrative. It’s a montage of interviews of Singh, some of his performances and the real-life accounts of his associates. There are conversational accounts from famous names from the industry (Bollywood and music) his wife Chitra Singh, Zakir Hussain, Gulzar, Amisha Patel, and Mahesh Bhatt to name a few. However, the interview style documentary doesn’t take away any of the dramatic flavor from the film.

We felt the pathos, the highs, and lows in the music and the catharsis of emotions represented in each sequence. The film, for the most part, had unscripted, unrehearsed speech with speakers sharing their memories like stories and this is where the audiences feel connected to the subject. While a documentary might have most viewers turning away with disinterest, this one actually manages to keep you hooked.

If you begin the film thinking where the story and the drama are, you will find an answer in the emotional narration and the sheer dramatic nature of the story. Singh has been captured as every bit of the talented, kind and funny guy he was known to be by his family and peers. The film does him justice without going overboard on praise.

What we liked best was that the information on Singh’s life was presented on screen by people of the industry he worked in. Its a peek into the career of a musician through the words of fellow musicians and its refreshing. All in all, it’s a beautiful tribute to a great musician by the people closest to him during his lifetime. Watch this one if you are a fan of Singh or have grown up listening to his music. We’d give this one a solid 4 and a half stars out of 5.