AR Rahman, Ananya Birla create song for Indian Olympic contingent
Music maestro AR Rahman and singer Ananya Birla have collaborated for Hindustani Way, a brand-new track to cheer for the Indian contingent ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. While Birla has lent her voice to the song, Rahman serves as the composer and producer. Billed as a Hindi track peppered with English vocals, Hindustani Way translates to "The Indian Way," which denotes unity and optimism.
Hope to convey best wishes, support to Team India: Rahman
Rahman said they hope to convey their support and best wishes to Team India through this song. "All of us are really excited to have made this special song and hope our athletes can feel the entire nation rooting for them... It was a pleasure working with Ananya on this project," the Oscar and Grammy winner said in a statement.
'True honor' to pen, sing the 'Hindustani Way': Birla
Birla, who has co-written the lyrics along with Nirmika Singh and Shishir Samant, said it is a "true honor" to pen and sing a song to cheer the Indian Olympic contingent. Hindustani Way is set to release on July 9.
Surreal opportunity to collaborate with my role model: Birla
"The grit and fortitude of the Indian Olympic team in the face of such a challenging year is inspiring," Birla further said. "It was surreal to have had the opportunity to collaborate with my role model, AR Sir on such a prestigious project, from whom I have learned so much. We are here cheering, the Hindustani Way!" she added.
The music video features key Olympic archival footage, training footage
The music video of the song is directed by Danny Mamik and Sahaan Hattangadi and produced by Birla's banner Antimatter Media Private Limited. Interestingly, the music video features key Olympic archival footage from Atlanta (1996), Athens (2004), Beijing (2002, 2008), London (2012), Rio (2016), and exclusive training footage of this year's contingent, a press release said.
Over 100 Indian athletes qualified for the Olympics
Over 100 Indian athletes have qualified for the Olympics—delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic—that gets underway on July 23 amid strict health safety protocols. Hockey captain Manpreet Singh and London Olympics bronze medallist boxer MC Mary Kom will be India's flag-bearers for the opening ceremony. Top wrestler Bajrang Punia has been named the country's flag-bearer for the August 8 closing ceremony.
