Shankar Mahadevan: Composing the inflight safety video was challenging
Shankar Mahadevan talks about showcasing India’s cultural and musical diversity.
Soumya Vajpayee
soumya.vajpayee@hindustantimes.com
Grammy-winning musician Shankar Mahadevan, who has composed music for Air India’s new inflight safety video, says it’s among his best experiences. Titled Safety Mudras, the video sees artistes performing different Indian dance forms while giving safety instructions. “I kept in mind that this was a very important life instruction that had to be given out, so things had to be clear and precise. As far as the musical creativity was concerned, I wanted to keep it authentic and culturally rich, depicting different Indian dance forms,” says Mahadevan.
Working on the track that is an amalgamation of dance forms from different parts of India was challenging for the composer. He shares, “India is a land of dance and music, and every state has its own classical dance form. So, I had to tie them with a common thread, yet showcase the diversity of our culture, which was quite a challenge.”
The Padma Shri recipient adds that the “feedback I have got” for the music “is incredible”. He adds, “People are thankful that I’ve come up with something that depicts our culture. In fact, many see it as a way of educating the younger generations, making them aware of the varied culture and music that our country has.”
