Nettle

Laila Aur Satt Geet is part allegory, part ethnographic study, and part feminist fairy tale, using the narrative device of local folk songs - seven, to be exact - to describe the protagonist - Laila's inner and outer worlds. Laila is a beautiful young girl belonging to the Gujjar-Bakarwal tribe, a community of nomadic shepherds in Kashmir. She marries Tanvir a fellow tribesman and in the winter the couple migrates to the plains with their tribe to escape heavy snowfall in the Valley. Her beauty quickly becomes the talk of the surrounding areas. A local police officer, Rishi, and his consort Mushtaq, a forest officer, raid the Bakarwal camp with the pretext of catching a glimpse of her; her beauty leaves them awestruck. What ensues is a twisted game begins between Mushtaq and Laila, wherein she must use her wits to stay clear of his blatant advances while being disillusioned by her husband, Tanvir's inaction. Laila Aur Satt Geet is part allegory, part ethnographic study, and part feminist fairytale, using the narrative device of local folk songs - seven, to be exact - to describe Laila's inner and outer worlds.