Mumbai: Celebrated lyricist and Padma Shri Award winner, Prasoon Joshi, known for his popular, chart-busting songs of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Rang De Basanti and Taare Zameen Par, to name just a few, wielded his magic to write the lyrics for PRADAN, a leading NGO in the country working with tribal and backward communities. The “Anthem” celebrated the spirit of collaboration and working together – a value PRADAN espouses in all the development work it engages in. Prasoon’s strong social conscience is reflected in the work he has earlier done for campaigns like Malnutrition, Polio Eradication, Women Empowerment, Child Rights, Swachh Bharat and more.
PRADAN executive director Saroj Kumar Mahapatra said, “Collaboration and partnerships are key to PRADAN’s growing outreach among the tribal and rural women that we work with. Over our 40 years of working with marginalized communities in the Central India Tribal belt, we have partnered with over 110 Civil Society Organizations, more than 70 Foundations, Private Philanthropies and Corporations and various National, State, District and Local government institutions to multiply the impact of the government's development schemes and programs. The anthem penned by Prasoon Joshi is our celebration of that spirit of working together, and of empowered communities who have striven continuously to carve out a brighter future for themselves, and for the societies that they live in”.
“Song composition and film production are highly collaborative efforts, and the magic happens only when various parts of the team come together seamlessly to create a symphony of sorts. I am highly appreciative of the part that PRADAN and many such organizations are playing in supporting sustainable, inclusive development work in the country by coming together, thinking together and working together to help India realize some of its SDGs while engaging with communities at the grassroots and finding local solutions for local problems. The anthem is my way of showing support to the cause of collaborative problem solving”, reflected Prasoon on his motivation to pen the anthem lyrics.
Indian filmmaker Kireet Khurana winner of six president’s National Film Awards and 18 international awards for his cinematic works, who directed the film under his banner - Climb Media, exuded, “Conceptualising the film was a challenge as development work is so profound and generational changing that it is difficult to capture its widespread impact. Executing the film was another major challenge, as I wanted to cast the actual tribal villagers that PRADAN and its partner organizations work with, and get them to do role plays, without making the film look contrived. It was also my responsibility to make the film stimulating without losing its earthy and realistic feel. Prasoon’s soulful lyrics really helped elevate the visualisation to the next level. I hope the film will motivate development agencies and communities to work together to empower and help transform the lives of the people in what was hitherto an impoverished hinterland.”
The film captures the empowering essence of collaboration, even as it briefly “Relives” the moments of self-doubt that the underserved, marginalised communities are faced with while looking to create a better future for themselves. The film, strung together by a highly inspiring song, traverses the journey of the state (sarkar), funding organizations (bazar) and the civil society (samaj) actors coming together to support the communities to help them realize their vision of a better, brighter tomorrow (“Naya prabhat”).
