At the end of the last period at school, the routine was to sing, ‘Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag and smile, smile, smile’, building it to a rousing crescendo as we rushed out to tackle the rest of the day.
For more than a year now, the challenging Covid pandemic has robbed many of us of our smiles. Now, Manzar, a music video scripted and directed by debutante director Devansh Patel, exhorts us to smile through these trying times by reminding us of that crucial philosophical advice ... always keep things in perspective.
The happiness relay
Actor Prashantt Guptha (Neerja, Tashkent Files) plays the photographer protagonist in the music video, which has been shot on the picturesque, windswept seashore of Bandra, Mumbai.
He says, “Through the parable of a photographer and his subjects, we see how it becomes possible to smile again if we observe the world around us, and see it from a different view (manzar). As a wise man once said, ‘Nazariya badal do, nazaara badal jaayega.’ (Change the way you perceive the world, and your world will look different).”
The project fell into place like a relay race. The lyrics of the song Manzar are written by the ambitious producer, Gilbert Chettiar. He will release the video under his label Lafzon Music.
{{/usCountry}}The project fell into place like a relay race. The lyrics of the song Manzar are written by the ambitious producer, Gilbert Chettiar. He will release the video under his label Lafzon Music.
{{/usCountry}}Gilbert offered the song to singer Vipin Aneja, best known for his soulful track, Jaane tere sheher ka kya iraada hai from the Irrfan Khan-starrer, Jazbaa.
Vipin, in turn, roped in his singer friend, Salman Ali, the singing sensation of Indian Idol. Once this male duet was recorded by music composer Anshu Sharma, Vipin passed on the baton to Prashantt, who in turn recommended former journalist and talk show host Devansh Patel for the director’s shoes.
Prashantt says, “Devansh is a cinephile and he has poured every ounce of his passion into capturing the essence of the song. I myself said an instant yes to the project not only because I can’t say no to Vipin, but also because the lyrics, music and vocals strongly resonated with my heart, and my personal journey.”
Joy in the morning
When I ask Prashantt how he would explain Manzar’s mission to a 10-year-old flustered by the pandemic, the actor ponders before breaking into a half-smile.
“I’d tell him to smile and watch the video. I would emphasise that he remain happy and if he can’t easily find the joy within himself, to look around for it,” he says. “As the great Charlie Chaplin once said, ‘You’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile’.”
Before exchanging goodbye smiles – yes smiles are infectious – I ask Prashantt what manzar he would like to see in his professional life. His answer is as quirky as the twist in the denouement of the video. ‘Manzar badalta rehta hai, kuch bhi ek jaisa kahaan rehta hai aur yeh mann bhi roz badalta rehta hai.’ (Our points of view keep changing as do our minds).
From HT Brunch, April 25, 2021
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