The Kashmir region is defined by it beauty and the many cultures its conveys. However, its territory also highlights the troubled history of India after the partition when Kashmir became the most fought-over region, resulting in three wars between Pakistan and India, and the region finally being subdivided among the two states, as well as China. Its history as well as its rich culture is what attracted Indian director Pushpendra Singh for his third feature “The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs” whose story is set within the Indian-administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir. The movie, which had its world premiere at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, tells a story about the region, but also one about oppression and liberation, about desire and attraction.
“The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs” lands on digital and video-on-demand March 15, 2022 in North America from Deaf Crocodile Films and Gratitude Films, collaborating with digital partner Grasshopper Films.
Upon their travels through the Kashmir territory, shepherd Tanvir (Saddakit Bijran) is one of many men in his tribe of nomads smitten by the looks of Laila (Navjot Randawa). Upon hearing she likes him, Tanvir takes his chances and asks the clan elders for the young woman's hands, which she first tries to avoid, but is eventually powerless to stop. Eventually, she becomes Tanvir's wife and has to leave her home because his tribe has to move on towards their settlement at the feet of the Himalayan mountains, where Laila has to take over her duties as wife.
However, Tanvir, along with the other members of his tribe, gets into trouble with Indian authorities over their paperwork, with the local police often visiting their camp, thus creating a lot of tension. At the same time, Mushtaq (Shahnawaz Bhat), a young police officer, feels quite attracted towards Laila, who first ignores his advances and even gets into a fight with one of his colleagues, who is also determined to impress the beautiful young woman. Eventually Laila, bored and dissatisfied with the daily routine in the tribe and as a wife, decides to a few meetings with the police officer, a dangerous game, as their movements are not just observed by the authorities, but also by the watchful eyes of the tribe.
While the conflict between the Gujjar-Bakarwal community and the Indian authorities would have been enough for the sociopolitical angle of the story, Singh seems to go one step further. In the eyes of the officials, supervising the nomads movements, especially within a territory such as Kashmir, is a key to avoid conflicts, but also a means to restrict their freedoms, of movement, of property and also of who belongs to their community. Against the beautiful backdrop of the Himalayan mountains, the woods and the rivers, it is a stark contrast, which the members of the Gujjar-Bakarwal try to communicate, thus making the concept of real freedom one which is only still present in the many songs and poems contained in the story.
At the same time, the concept of freedom, or rather its restriction, also applies to the main characters. Although Navjot Randhawa's Laila is perhaps the prime example in that regard, it is also worth noting how, for example, a character such as Mushtaq falls victim to the conflict of his desires versus the role as a representative of the state. Each of the them goes through a process of accepting a certain degree of unfulfilled desire, of repressed freedom, which is mirrored in the acting as well as Ranabir Das' cinematography, whose depiction of the nature surrounding the camp seems to reflect a narrative defined by repressed wishes, sexuality and frustration.
In the end, “The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs” is a richly-layered feature about desire, repression and freedom. Pushpendra Singh manages to combine the tumultuous past and present of Kashmir to a story reflecting the slow process of coming to terms with the restriction of one's freedom. Apart from the performances, it is Ranabir Das' cinematography which really shines throughout the movie, emphasizing the beauty of the landscape but also the struggles of the characters.
