Azaad 26/11: Healing the wounds through music

A lone child. A figure of lost innocence. Rose in hand, a healing smile upon his face, he dashes through the wounded city, bearing goodwill and peace. These are scenes from the riveting music video Azaad 26/11, which is an ode to resilience and hope.

DNA spoke to Manish Jain, director and producer of Azaad 26/11.

Produced by Jain’s Shot OK Motion Pictures in collaboration with Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods, Azaad 26/11 features celebrities like Celina Jaitley, Gul Panag, Javed Jaffrey and Esha Koppikar and music by Rahul Bhatt.

Can you tell us a bit about Shot OK Motion Pictures?
We produce music videos, Azaad 26/11 being our first. In it, the entertainment industry really came together for the greater good.

How did the idea of a music video about 26/11 come to be?
Mumbai, India, and indeed the world, was shaken by the brutal strikes. We, like almost everyone else, attended the December 23 Gateway of India march. It triggered in us the need to play our part as a media house. Our basic idea behind the video was that we would resist the depiction of bloodshed and gore, and we would shoot on actual locations. A smiling child — a slum kid — with a rose, symbolizing peace. In a way, cleaning up the filth that was left behind by terrorism

What were your thoughts while carrying out the project?
The tragic events of 26/11 affected us personally. Music director Rahul Bhatt and I would have found ourselves embroiled in the tragic incident were it not for us being caught up at the studio with a project that very night.

How would you react to the scepticism that candlelight vigils, marches and music videos don’t actually amount to anything?
Awareness and the expression of concern has to begin somewhere. Everyone has to contribute, in whatever way they can. The video’s purpose was to spread hope. The goal was to avoid bloodshed and spread positiveness. The celebrities who were present in the film were a great help in sending across an important message. The boy running from spot to spot says terrorism isn’t only a threat that arises from external sources, but from within. And whatever the case, Mumbai must overcome. 'Let Mumbai Live' is the theme.

How effective do you think a music video would be?
Well, there are 3,500 supporters on Facebook already. There has been a lot of buzz on the radio waves and the international press. A common response many people have told me after viewing the video is experiencing goosebumps.

Technically, we have left no stone unturned. Our mastering engineer was none other than Chris Gehringer who has previously worked with superstars Madonna, Rihanna and Justin Timberlake.

What is your next project?
Our next music video is entitled Five Days of Facebook — a take on the social networking phenomenon which we were working on before David Fincher announced The Social Network, by the way. The video will feature television actor Gaurav Gera and model Gayatri Chowdary.