Agnee and Shruthikkaa Films launched the music of Janki Vishwanathan’s film Yeh Hai Bakrapur at a high octane event held at The Blue Frog, Mathuradas Mills, Lower Parel on the 21st of April 2014. The event was attended by the children from Dharavi Rocks, the cast and crew of the film including Anshuman Jha, Asif Basra, Yoshika Verma and Shahrukh, the goat.
In an unprecedented gesture, the producers of the film and Agnee decided to have the CD launched by all the kids from Dharavi Rocks instead of the normal industry personalities who are called on a regular basis to launch film music albums.
The film is a political satire set against the backdrop of rural India. A multi-layered film, it is based on the complex belief systems that prevail in Indian society and the conflicts that ensue thereon. Keeping in mind the theme and relevance of the film, Mohan from Agnee said, “ Yeh Hai Bakrapur has a serious message but the film speaks about it in a fun way. When Janaki Vishwanathan approached us for the music of the film, the first reaction we had was to want to associate ourselves with this project… right after we said “Wow.” It’s truly a fun and sweet film and a project we’re proud to be associated with. Hence immediately decided to do this pro bono. “Koco added, “While Agnee agreed to do the music pro bono, what we didn’t expect was for our featuring artists to show the same solidarity and join us in our endeavour. We’re super excited that Amit Kilam and Rahul Ram from Indian Ocean, Keerthi Sagathia, Raghu Ram, Abbas Tyrewala and Panchhi Jalonvi have joined us and have truly made this experience super fun and super memorable.”
Agnee and Shrutikkaa Films unveiled three songs at the music launch. The first one, Pair Anaadi, also referred to as The Election Anthem 2014, is already out. The song has vocals by Mohan Kannan, Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram and Raghu Ram. Speaking about the uniqueness of the song Mohan said, “Pair Anaadi was the last song we composed and the first song we released. There couldn’t be a better time for this song. The song is a call to action for the citizens of our country where we want everyone to vote wisely and not make hasty and unwise decisions that we find difficult to rectify later. Abbas Tyrewala’s lyrics are simply outstanding and there are no words that can describe the happiness we’ve felt singing each line he’s written.” Adds Koco, “ This song is the coming together of Agnee, Indian Ocean and Raghu Ram. This by itself adds uniqueness to the song, not just because the individuals attached to this song are typically not Bollywood, but also because each of these individuals have and are actively taking a stand for the betterment of our country.”
The second song which was unveiled is called Pyaar Mein Bakra. The song has been sung by Mohan Kannan from Agnee and written by Panchhi Jalonvi. When asked about the song and the video, Janaki Vishwanathan, the director of the film said, “ The song brings alive an inherent sweetness which is typically associated with first love and is a melody that will stay in people’s hearts long after Yeh Hai Bakrapur releases.” Mohan added “This song is all about the heart.. and we decided that if people like the song, they must be asked to do something from the heart. So we’re asking them to donate to Acorn Foundation, the NGO that started the unique initiative, Dharavi Rocks, with Emmanuelle De Decker from Blue Frog. Dharavi Rocks is all about teaching the rag pickers from Dharavi about music and dance and of course giving them regular education and making sure their futures are secure because of a strong foundation of honed skill as well as
education. It’s a fantastic cause, and we’re extremely proud to be associated with it. The kids from Dharavi Rocks give each of us as much reason to smile as music itself, and we know that once listeners contribute to them in any way, they’ll be rewarded with far more than a receipt.. they’ll take back tons of happiness.” Again, in an unprecedented gesture, Ramesh Aruunachalam, the producer of Yeh Hai Bakrapur, stood up to make the first contribution to Acorn Foundation and presented Vinod from Acorn Foundation a cheque for Rs 1 lac. Ramesh said “As soon as Mohan called me to tell me about this idea of Agnee’s, I told him that after he’s given a call to action, the first action should be from us. My Mother and I immediately decided that we must contribute and be the first to do so. We’re very happy and proud to be associated with Dharavi Rocks, and it truly warms my heart to see the absolutely wonderful kids from Dharavi Rocks honouring us by releasing the CD and performing for us.”
The third song which was unveiled is called Om Shanti Om. Agnee, the composers called this song an ode to Shahrukh. Said Mohan, “ Om Shanti Om is our ode to the superstar Shahrukh. We deliberately want to leave it to the listener to make their judgment on whether this is for our own hero, Shahrukh the Bakra, or Shahrukh Khan, the superstar. J Once people watch the film, of course, they will know for sure what we mean. Panchhi saab’s written the lyrics very smartly and in a way that made the song what it is.. and he’s superb!” Koco chipped in saying, “ Om Shanti Om is a fun, peppy track. However, we never lose sight of the film and the idiosyncrasies attached to people’s claims on Shahrukh. We had a lot of fun working on the song and are pretty sure that people are going to be humming this one for a while.”
The Music Launch also saw a brief performance by Anshuman Jha, Yoshika Verma and Asif Basra who came to the venue in their respective looks from the film. Their introductory act kept the audiences thoroughly entertained. However, Agnee and Janaki Vishwanathan turned up the entertainment quotient further when they invited the children from Dharavi Rocks to perform with Agnee, Indian Ocean and Raghu Ram on Pair Anadi.
On being asked about why she chose to work with Agnee on the music of Yeh Hai Bakrapur, Janki Vishwanathan said, “ Yeh Hai Bakrapur has been a project of passion for me. Its unique theme required someone to give it unique music. When I met Agnee and told them the story of the film, I was overwhelmed by their excitement and enthusiasm. That apart, Agnee’s music has always cut across all barriers of age, caste and creed. Their sound is both contemporary and yet earthy. All the three songs that they have composed for me are diverse in their genres and yet keep to the theme of the film. I am thrilled with the music that Agnee has given me and very grateful to all associated with our music for all their efforts and for joining with us.”
