Togetherness in song
Members of the Bay Area Indian community have joined to share a new version of the popular song “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara.” And the video is already a hit online, having collected more than 400,000 views (and counting) on YouTube alone.
“This song is known as the ‘Song of India’ and ‘Song of Togetherness,’ ” says the video’s director, Anil Gaur. “It is sung in 14 different languages but the beauty is that you don’t need to understand the languages to feel the sentiment of togetherness.”
The original version of “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” — which translates to “As the tune matches, mine and yours” — debuted on Aug. 15 (Independence Day in India) in 1988. The Bay Area version was recorded in December and released in early January.
Some 70 people contributed to making the video, which depicts various singers performing the song from a variety of iconic Bay Area locales. The video spotlights the talents of vocalists Shubha Chaki and Shreedhar Ganapathy as well as hip-hop artist Tanya Gupta. The music was arranged by Pranav Jhumkhawala.
“It is a celebration of how people from different backgrounds, who have made homes outside of India, weaved Indian heritage into their family life, creating bridges across people of all ages,” says Gaur, who describes himself as an “IT executive by profession but a filmmaker at heart.” It includes classical and folk dances, celebration of festivals, traditional outfits and food.
Details: Available to view for free on YouTube.