‘Ae mere watan ke logon... Zara aankh me bhar lo pani...’ (‘Oh, my fellow citizens! Shed a few tears’).
Remembered as one of the greatest patriotic songs, ‘Ae mere watan ke logon’ sung by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar had moved then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to tears when it was first performed live two months after the 1962 Sino-Indian war on Republic Day on 26 January, 1963, at the National Stadium in New Delhi.
Ardhra M., through her dance video ‘Agniputhri’, has given yet another dimension to the rendition that has stood the test of time.
‘Agniputhri’, an eight-minute dance video by Ardhra, a Class 11 student of Silver Hills Public School, Kozhikode, is a tribute to the heroes of the 1962 war against China, in which 1,383 Indian soldiers were killed, 1,047 were wounded, 1,696 went missing, and 3,968 were captured by the Chinese army.
The concept
In the video, Ardhra is the imaginary granddaughter of Major Shaitan Singh, a 1962 war hero, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. The girl wanted to be a soldier just like her grandfather, but was driven to dance by the grandfather himself, who presented her with chilanka (anklet worn by dancers). The video shows how she embraces both paths simultaneously, as a soldier and as a dancer, with the blessings of her grandfather.
For Ardhra, who has been a student of dance since the age of three and has won accolades across Kerala, the video is a milestone in her career as a dancer. With her dancing and acting talents, she has made the imaginary character memorable and inspiring for her generation to pursue a career in the Armed Forces.
Ardhra recalled the support offered by her NCC friends, who guided her in performing the Army training routine in an authentic manner. The video was choreographed by Vineeth Soushtava and cinematographed by Sanal Krishna.
Lt. Col. (retired) P.K.P.V. Panicker and Kalyani Panicker, parents of Kargil martyr Captain P.V. Vikram, released the video at a function held at Crown cinema hall here on Thursday. Silver Hills Public School Principal Father John Mannarathara presided over the function.
