In Anuparna Roy's debut feature, Songs of Forgotten Trees, a sex worker and a call centre employee develop a close, ambiguous relationship within the confines of a crumbling Mumbai apartment. The film, a gentle drama of strong feelings and constrained choices, is set to release in UK cinemas on 14 August.
A Cramped Setting Reflects Societal Limits
The narrative unfolds mostly in a tiny, dilapidated apartment where two women navigate their shared living space, squeezing past each other in the hallway and cooking together in a cramped kitchen. This physical constriction mirrors the limited options society affords them, a point Roy emphasizes throughout the film. The apartment belongs to Nitin (Bushan Shimpi), a client of Thooya (Naaz Shaikh), an actor and part-time sex worker. The arrangement scandalizes the neighbours, but Thooya remains indifferent to their judgment.
Thooya has rented the second bedroom to Shweta (Sumi Baghel), a stranger who works from home for an IT call centre. Initially, there is an awkwardness between the two women, but this gradually evolves into something deeper—perhaps romance, though the film's final scene leaves the nature of their connection deliberately ambiguous.
Plot and Themes: Male Entitlement and Female Solidarity
Plotwise, Songs of Forgotten Trees is a slight narrative. Thooya is haunted by the memory of a school friend who was married off at age 13 and never seen again. Shweta, meanwhile, is searching for a husband through a matchmaking site and disapproves of sex work. Yet, during a taxi ride home one night, Thooya cynically points out that if Shweta marries, she too will have to be sexually available to her husband, whether she likes it or not. Thooya herself is exhausted by her clients and their demands, highlighting the theme of male entitlement that pervades the film. Even Shweta's IT customers are petulant and demanding, with one man insisting she speak to him daily.
A Film of Moments, Not Lasting Impressions
This is a film of feelings and moments snatched out of context, drifting past with some interest but leaving little lasting impression. The performances are sensitive, and the direction is assured, but the overall effect is understated. Songs of Forgotten Trees is a quiet exploration of female intimacy and societal constraints, offering a nuanced portrayal of two women finding connection in a world that limits their choices.
