Anvita Dutt’s Qala is a cautionary tale. Set in the early ’40s, it tells the story of a successful playback singer burdened by her own destiny that is carved on rejection from her mother. The gorgeous yet grim portrait of a guilt-ridden woman, however, feels as modern as it does vintage.

Dutt shares that in setting the period film in the ’40s, she attempts to establish that when it comes to feeling validated, little has changed for women. “The feeling of lack of agency or choice, or the guilt attached with doing something for yourself, is [unfortunately] pretty universal for us all. We can all see ourselves in different parts of Qala, at different times in our lives. That is the essence that I was carrying with me [while making the film],” says Dutt, who also penned the film that is currently streaming on Netflix.