The video begins at a café. A young woman is reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, when a virtual war-mongering breaks out on a WhatsApp group. Frustrated by messages like ‘Let’s bomb it’ and ‘Kill them’, she chats with her friends, who together decide to ‘do a composition’. And that’s what the 5.14-minute-long musical album Bhogeendra Sayinam is all about — a song for peace and against war.
Composed by the same woman in the video, Malavika Anilkumar, Bhogeendra Sayinam, her first music album, is inspired by Swathi Thirunal’s legendary eponymous keertana composed in praise of Lord Vishnu, who, according to Hindu mythology, is the god who preserves. For the Thrissur-based Carnatic musician, the album preaches her life principle, “I believe that any act we engage in should result in the well-being of others. My debut album throws light on violence which is eating into today’s society.”
Based on the theme ‘Stop war and spread peace’, the album has picturesque locations which shows the beauty of the world and various art forms which spread anti-war messages. “The album was shot at locations in and around Ernakulam. The misty and green locales take the album to another next level. The album begins with nature, focuses on fresh air, clean water bodies and natural habitats. Towards the end, the visuals and vocals depict the pain of war,” observes Malavika, who stresses that war happens because people have stopped believing that they all belong to each other.
Born into a family of Carnatic musicians, music came naturally to Malavika’s life. She was initiated to music at a tender age of three under the tutelage of her grandfather Sri Mangad K. Natesan, a big name in the Carnatic music world. Having worked with musicians such as K.J. Yesudas, K.S. Chitra and Balabhaskar, Malavika has lent her voice for movie songs. A participant of various music reality shows, she also believes in educating herself by sharing her knowledge. “I have been taking online tuitions for the past four years,” she adds.
Malavika composed the album for Thrissur-based band Black and White Army, which is featured in the visuals. The album is directed by Antony Sony Sebastian and P.M. Unnikrishnan is the man behind the breathtaking visuals.
