‘The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs’ Review: A Feminist, Film-Noir Tinged Indian Folk Tale

variety.com:

Richard Kuipers Folklore, feminism and film noir come together in Pushpendra Singh’s meticulously crafted fourth feature “The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs.” Set in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region in Northwest India, this moody fable about an unhappy young bride plotting her escape from tradition and patriarchy is a gripping character study that stutters slightly in the latter stages before producing a magical finale that no-one will forget in a hurry.

Singh’s beautifully shot film has traveled extensively on the festival circuit and picked up awards at Hong Kong and Jeonju since debuting at Berlin in 2020.

Specialty distributor partners Deaf Crocodile Films and Gratitude Films have acquired the film for U.S. release. Singh’s penetrating study of toxic patriarchy and female identity is based on a short story by Vijayadan Detha, the acclaimed Rajasthani author known for bringing modern and often provocative sensibilities to folk tales.

Singh previously adapted Detha’s novel “Lajwanti” for his 2014 feature debut. “The Shepherdess” is also strongly influenced by the writings of Lalleshwari, a 14th-century female Kashmiri poet and mystic whose musings on life, death and destiny are sung by the film’s heroine and form part of the inner voice that guides her bold and dangerous quest for freedom.It’s clear from the outset that Laila (Navjot Randhawa) is defined in masculine terms as being not much different from livestock and has no option but to marry Tanvir (Sadakkit Bijran), a weak-willed nomadic herdsman.