Songs of Forgotten Trees Review: Mumbai Drama of Female Intimacy 2026

Songs of Forgotten Trees review – a sensitive, ambiguous drama of female intimacy in Mumbai – captures the quiet, cramped lives of two women sharing a tiny apartment. First-time director Anuparna Roy crafts a gentle story that unfolds in the shadows of societal judgment and personal longing.

Songs of Forgotten Trees: A Tale of Two Roommates

Set in a crumbling Mumbai apartment, the film introduces Thooya (Naaz Shaikh), an actor and part-time sex worker who rents a room to Shweta (Sumi Baghel), an IT call-centre employee. Their initial awkwardness slowly gives way to a connection that might be romance—or something more ambiguous. The film’s final scene leaves interpretation open, inviting viewers to sit with the uncertainty.

The cramped space mirrors the constraints both women face: Thooya’s defiance of neighbourly outrage, Shweta’s search for a husband through a matchmaking site. Their interactions are filled with unspoken tension, as when Thooya cynically notes that marriage would make Shweta sexually available to her husband regardless of desire. Male entitlement permeates their world, from Thooya’s demanding clients to Shweta’s petulant IT customers.

Key Themes in the Film

• Female intimacy and ambiguity – The relationship between Thooya and Shweta defies easy labels, focusing on emotional nuance.
• Societal limits on women – The apartment’s tiny size symbolizes the lack of space for women to make free choices.
• Sex work and stigma – Thooya’s profession is met with judgment, yet she remains unapologetic.
• Memory and loss – Thooya is haunted by a school friend married off at 13, never seen again.

Performance and Direction

Naaz Shaikh delivers a grounded performance as Thooya, balancing weariness with quiet defiance. Sumi Baghel’s Shweta evolves from judgmental to vulnerable, creating a believable dynamic. Director Anuparna Roy avoids melodrama, letting silences and small gestures carry meaning.

Comparison with Other Mumbai Dramas

Why This Film Matters

Songs of Forgotten Trees offers a rare look at the lives of women navigating work, desire, and friendship in urban India. It does not provide easy answers, but that is its strength. The film is less about plot than about the feelings and moments that drift by—some leaving a mark, others fading.

Final Verdict

While the film may not leave a lasting impression on everyone, its sensitivity and ambiguity make it a worthwhile watch for those interested in character-driven dramas. It is a quiet meditation on what it means to be a woman in a world that constantly tries to shrink your options.

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