Thursday, May 03, 2007

It's not just a song - It's a thought

Yesterday being a holiday, I was busy doing my 'usual' task of browsing through all the music channels for some good music. A new song, Sadho Re, from a band called Agnee suddenly caught my attention. From the music, I could make out it was a typical 'Indian Ocean' kind-of song. But then, the video was even more convincing..

The video (MediaPlayer streaming link), shot in an Indian pilgrim city(probably Varanasi) shows, a small girl, touring around a mela, grabbing her father's hand. Suddenly, another poor kid grabs her toy and runs away. The girl runs behind her, but is unable to catch hold of her. Now, she raises her head to look at the diverse kind of people present at the mela. She now starts realizing the fact that she is lost in the crowd. In the next frame, a man throws some food on the ground and four poor kids fight on the road to get hold of it. The girl's expression says it all at this moment. She can't understand, why anyone needs to fight for food. Someone knocks off the ice-cream she held, but she is still motionless. She later starts crying and walks in search of her father. The video ends with the members of the band taking her to her father and an ecstatic smile on her face.

But more than the video, the interpretation that I guessed, disturbed me very much. Did the director/band try to portray the universal truth from the innocent eyes of the young girl. Picture this: Every one of us is smiling and care-free in the happier times of our life. The moment we happen to lose any of our closest possessions, we engage in an endless chase for it. If we fail to find it, we retard, tired and helpless. But then, when we look at the world around us, we find so much pain and suffering; that our loss seems to be miniscule. We start realizing, the ordeals, others have to go through, for even a grain of food. We feel that all our possessions are just namesake and are no more than ornamental. And at this dividing line of the world and the self, we find ourselves helpless. But, most of the time, this realization is momentary, only till we return to the material world. The big divide of the whole world no longer makes sense to us, as we embrace our new-found happiness in objects of desire. And this is what the song probably means, when it says, Ye murdon ka gaanv..

Surely, songs like these-though may not be part of popular trend (should I say Himesh!), are very much thought-provoking. Reminds me of the lines from Indian Ocean's Bharam Bhaap Ke - "Jang ka rang sunehra samjha, Lekin baad mein gehra samjha. Janga ka rang toh kaala re..."

11 comments:

Savita said...

What a coincidence!! I read your blog then go out and switch on my TV... I see the same song playing on Mtv...

yep... loved the thought behind the video...

Unknown said...

actually i havent listened to that song..so cant comment... :)

Seshadri said...

@savita
see, this is called a 'timely' post :)

@barath
wow..a true friend..u posted a comment even if u had nothing to say :)..btw, i have given the streaming link for those unlucky few, who do not get to watch the video.if u have a broadband though !

Janani said...

Oops... Even I haven't seen tht. But will certainly see it.

Vandhu blog post padichutu parkale ne unnum puriyathu

Anonymous said...

me streaming it down...sorry i dont watch TV so no question of watching the video.

Anusha said...

So true.... There have been times when I cribbed about the crampy seats of BEST buses without considering people who are standing... About the "healthy" but tasteless food of my mom without a thought about the child beggars... About my work knowing unemployment drives many to suicide...

Realizations like this make us human and not just a materialistic doll... The video depicts to day’s world. I haven’t seen it, but I am definitely interested to…. Will try the link later...

Naresh said...

Read the post, went home, waited for the song and the video (streamin not allowd in office :()! its a really touching video... Reminds me of the quote - I cried because I had no shoes till I saw a man with no legs. We must always probably realise that the problem that lay on our shoulders is not as huge as the sufferings of those who live widout the bare minimum! This feeling probably ll bring out the humane side of us and make us contribute more towards uplifting the society, socially and psychologically!

Seshadri said...

@anusha
rightly said..this is what we see evryday around us.but still the video seems much more meaningful

@naresh
heard abt the quote for the first time.but am touched by it..really, we should work towards such contribution. But we should also not return to the materialistic world ignoring everything,like the young girl does...

Naresh said...

Hey...

one of my frnz runs a tech blog and his latest hve been on the big G :P, n it reminded me of u...

Heres the link...

http://the-enginerd.blogspot.com/

Naresh said...

another one...
http://beingdesh.blogspot.com/2007/04/google-vs-god.html

The Devil's Paradise....... said...

hey.. maa name is shreedhar...
saw ur blog on reddy's comments...
hope u wudnt mind me commenting...
and for the song.... it is lovely.. but nothing to beat indian ocean.....
i ahve a blog of my own..
www.intendedpun.blogspot.com
feel free to comment and air ur views...

chesre