MUMBAI: National Award-winning director Arun Shankar, who has collaborated with Grammy winner Ricky Kej for his new single 'Hum', says the song has a strong connection with the global scenario today. He says,”The song Hum will touch upon the sensitivity of today’s scenario that we are in. Keeping in mind the disasters we have faced and the ongoing covid scenario, it makes you wonder if we as humans are somewhere responsible for this because of our actions. If so, we should realise that, learn from our mistakes and correct our actions for a better tomorrow.” The song is more of hip hop genre with beats that totally flow with today's music. Arun who is familiar in the music video scene feels visuals add a dramatic impact to the audio. It's always a mixture of sound and visuals that give life to an artistic creation. If done well, it creates a lasting impact in the minds of the audience. The song has newbie Ruthvik Reddy and Pooja Banerjee.
Speaking on them Arun says,”Ruthvik was finalised after we auditioned several artists for a movie that i was working on in 2020. Due to the pandemic situation it got postponed to 2021. He brings a certain level of raw unfiltered talent that is very rare to come across. While I came up with the idea of making this song, I realised Ruthvik had all the potential to bring in the versatility that i needed for my lead to be able to portray multiple characters in the song. I was looking for a female lead who could express the same meaning of the song through dance and also have a certain grace to herself. Pooja is capable of both. She is vividly expressive and holds a certain charm to herself that uplifts the spirit of the song. Both of them are not paired opposite each other and have their own parallel tracks in the song.” The song has been shot mostly in Punjab. Speaking about the precautions and measurements the unit has taken Arun tells,”A.S.P (Arun Shankar productions LlP) as a company was very clear from day one that we will abide by and follow all covid protocols to make sure everyone is safe and no one got infected. From sanitising stations, to spray guns, hand sanitizers, gloves, masks, face shields for make up artists - all guidelines where properly followed.” So how will you sum up the entire experience of shooting?
“It was amazing working with such diverse talents, from a newcomer to national and international artists. We had two Grammy winners who have worked on the music. Ricky kej and Wouter Kellerman( Flutist). We also had a popular household name from Tv, (Pooja Bannerjee) performing to popular playback singer Neeti Mohan’s verses in the song and ofcourse it had me too. As a director, I had a great time bringing this song to life. It's never a one-man show, it's always teamwork and that's what gets the job done.” Arun’s last music video was Hidayat which received great reviews and appreciation. That is one of the reasons he was encouraged by his audience to release his next song. Arun who himself is an actor, singer-composer and director considers himself as an artist. He adds, These are categories that we have created for clarification on a person’s job profile. As an artist whatever I do i do it with all my heart and with full dedication. And at 27, I feel I am doing pretty good for myself.”
Speaking about his unfulfilled dream Arun says,” I achieved one of my biggest dreams when I won the National award. Looking forward, I want to create more amazing content, be it music or films, that reach the maximum audience globally. I hope the work I do gets recognised on National and International platforms..” Hum will tentatively release in the first week of February.
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