It would be a real challenge to come across an Indian who wasn’t inspired by India’s ‘unofficial’ anthem, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, that was first promoted on Doordarshan in 1988. 22 years on, the same iconic song has been revived with new characters. Does the throttle work? 4Ps B&M gives the inside view
Circa August 15, 1988: For the first time, ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” was aired on the only available channel then, viz Doordarshan; and since then, for the last two decades, the audio visuals of Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (reciting ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara) and Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna at Kovalam beach, Chennai (erstwhile Madras, reciting a similar emotion) have never failed to mesmerise Indian listeners. Without an iota of doubt, the song captivated and enthralled an entire generation by showcasing the diversity of India and sending across a very strong message of unity. It goes beyond saying that the second song of “The Trilogy” (consisting of Freedom Torch – The Spirit of Freedom, Mile Sur and Raag Desh) became the unofficial national anthem of India. Cut to 26 January 2010: The simple eight line stanza (translated into 16 languages) was once again being aired in almost all available channels, albeit in a slightly different format. For once, those who could vividly recall the opening lines sung by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and M. Balamuralikrishna must have been surprised. Surely the legends were missing; but nonetheless, the present rendition by none other than Amrita Surendranath and Kailash Surendranath (who had earlier worked along with the legendary Suresh Mullick of O&M Advertising), too deals with the concept of national integration. Phir Mile Sur has in it the freshness that reflects the enthusiasm of modern India, tune and lyrics that every Indian today can relate to and which could further ignite the passion for India and its diversity. But does it evoke the same ethos of Independence and emotion that the previous harmony did? Says Shubhoshekhar Bhattacharjee, CEO, Planman Motion Pictures, “Like its predecessor, which used a combination of music and images to instill a feeling of pride in Indians from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Phir Mile Sur also speaks a universal language – love for the motherland. But yes, the first tune holds a special place in the hearts of Indians that will always remain.” Bhairavi, the raga that is common to both Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, is apparently the common theme to both the versions.
Yes, there are industry analysts who comment that the original rendition Mile Sur Mera Tumhara will remain matchless – Prathap Suthan, National Creative Director, Cheil Worldwide, gives his take to 4Ps B&M, , “If they really wanted to create that nostalgia [of the previous song], they should have kept the lyrics intact and shot it with kids as they represent the future of the nation.” Vijay Uppal, Brand Guru and Director UPFRONT Advertising Pvt. Ltd, says, “The ‘Indian’ feel which binds hundreds of millions of people through a smartly executed Mile Sur Mera Tumhara campaign is missing in the present Phir Mile Sur.”
Circa August 15, 1988: For the first time, ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” was aired on the only available channel then, viz Doordarshan; and since then, for the last two decades, the audio visuals of Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (reciting ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara) and Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna at Kovalam beach, Chennai (erstwhile Madras, reciting a similar emotion) have never failed to mesmerise Indian listeners. Without an iota of doubt, the song captivated and enthralled an entire generation by showcasing the diversity of India and sending across a very strong message of unity. It goes beyond saying that the second song of “The Trilogy” (consisting of Freedom Torch – The Spirit of Freedom, Mile Sur and Raag Desh) became the unofficial national anthem of India. Cut to 26 January 2010: The simple eight line stanza (translated into 16 languages) was once again being aired in almost all available channels, albeit in a slightly different format. For once, those who could vividly recall the opening lines sung by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and M. Balamuralikrishna must have been surprised. Surely the legends were missing; but nonetheless, the present rendition by none other than Amrita Surendranath and Kailash Surendranath (who had earlier worked along with the legendary Suresh Mullick of O&M Advertising), too deals with the concept of national integration. Phir Mile Sur has in it the freshness that reflects the enthusiasm of modern India, tune and lyrics that every Indian today can relate to and which could further ignite the passion for India and its diversity. But does it evoke the same ethos of Independence and emotion that the previous harmony did? Says Shubhoshekhar Bhattacharjee, CEO, Planman Motion Pictures, “Like its predecessor, which used a combination of music and images to instill a feeling of pride in Indians from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Phir Mile Sur also speaks a universal language – love for the motherland. But yes, the first tune holds a special place in the hearts of Indians that will always remain.” Bhairavi, the raga that is common to both Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, is apparently the common theme to both the versions.
Yes, there are industry analysts who comment that the original rendition Mile Sur Mera Tumhara will remain matchless – Prathap Suthan, National Creative Director, Cheil Worldwide, gives his take to 4Ps B&M, , “If they really wanted to create that nostalgia [of the previous song], they should have kept the lyrics intact and shot it with kids as they represent the future of the nation.” Vijay Uppal, Brand Guru and Director UPFRONT Advertising Pvt. Ltd, says, “The ‘Indian’ feel which binds hundreds of millions of people through a smartly executed Mile Sur Mera Tumhara campaign is missing in the present Phir Mile Sur.”
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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