‘Pistah’ rocks IPL

Catchy ‘Pistah’ from Malayalam film 'Neram' is IPL 2016’s promo song

A still from IPL promo song

Kochi is not in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016. Neither is Chennai. But that hasn’t stopped the folk at IPL from celebrating to the tune of ‘Pistah,’ the international chartbuster from Malayalam-Tamil bilingual

Neram , directed by Alphonse Puthren. The peppy number is the promo song for IPL 2016 and once again the internet’s gone gaga for it. Team

Neram , especially.

Shortly after its release online, Rajesh Murugesan, the composer of the song, posted the video on his Facebook page, “ Ithu Polichu !” (This rocks). It’s star Nivin Pauly posted #ProudMoment. “I really didn’t know about this until the video came out! In fact, none of us on team Neram knew about it. They say that the music label might have given permission to IPL to use it,” says Rajesh to MetroPlus . “That said I’m thrilled to bits that our little song is still getting so much love and traction even three years after its release,” adds Rajesh. Shabareesh Varma, who sang the number, is also on could nine. “ This is so overwhelming!!! Honoured. ” The singer posted on his Facebook page. “‘Pistah’ is the song that literally made our careers. It’s mass appeal is because its beyond language barriers,” explains Shabareesh.

The song, which begins with the lines ‘Pistah Suma Kira So Maari Jama Kiraaya’, is actually a meaningless ditty that actor Jagathy Sreekumar sings (seemingly) off the cuff in the Malayalam movie Kinnaram (1983). Additional lyrics are by Shabareesh, all of which Rajesh remixed as EDM (electronic dance music). In Neram , it’s heard towards the end and had audiences tapping their feet to it as the credits rolled.

IPL’s one-minute interpretation of the song centres on a carnival – think New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, with its floats and giant helium balloons, hundreds of spectators, buntings, pompoms et al. The floats/balloons in the video are IPL team captains and players – Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli, who is dressed, deservedly, we think, as superman, Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh of new team Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indian’s skipper Rohit Sharma and bowler Lasith Malinga, Kings XI Punjab’s Glenn Maxwell, Gujarat Lions’ all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja…The one they’re all waiting for rounds it up: M.S. Dhoni, skipper team India, who will lead newbie team Rising Pune Supergiants in IPL 2016. The gigantic idols weave through all things that we’ve come to associate with IPL. Cheering fans waving team flags, kitschy autorickshaws, folk dancers, cheerleaders, cricket commentators (as bobblehead statutes) and finally, the cup itself. It really is ‘fun, fans, fantastic’ as the video says.

IPL 2016 begins on April 9.