If you have loved the supernatural thriller Bulbbul, watch out for Qala. The musical thriller set to release on Netflix on December 1 reunites Bulbbul’s director-lead actress team of Anvita Dutt and Triptii Dimri.

Set in the late 1930s to 1940s, Qala is about the rise and fall of playback singer Qala Manjushree, played by Triptii, and her struggles with fame. The film also stars Swastika Mukherjee and marks the debut of Irrfan Khan’s son, Babil Khan.

At the trailer launch of Qala on Tuesday, Triptii said she could never say no to Anvita Dutt, when asked why her film choices ranged from feminist horror to tragic period drama.

“I feel that if your gut feeling doesn’t agree with the script or the character, then you should not get into it. Because it can go wrong for you and the people associated with the project. Luckily for me, that has never happened and it can never happen if Anvita Dutt is involved. I’ve been lucky, these films have chosen me. I haven’t chosen them,” said Triptii, who had earned critical acclaim for her performance as a vengeful witch in Bulbul.

To prepare for the role of Qala, Anvita and Triptii built the character together from the age of five. The director-actress duo had done the same for Bulbul and followed the process for Qala.

“Since I’m playing a singer in the film, Anvita was kind enough to take me to Goa with everybody. We were there for two days. I got an opportunity to see how music is created. I got to see Amit Trivedi create magic in the room in a span of two days,” Triptii said.

Qala, however, is very different from Triptii. “I’m not like Qala at all. But she’s a very special girl. It was a lot of fun for both of us to build her. Anvita gave birth to Qala and it was interesting for me to get into the world and see the world through her eyes. It was a very special journey, something I will cherish for life,” added Triptii.