KOCHI: ‘Ayyappantamma neyyappam chuttu, Kaakka kothi kadalil ittu...’ This song has been an earworm since our childhood. And it has always been about the ‘neyyappam’. Now, the attention has shifted. No, it has nothing to do with Android rejecting the name suggestion for its operating system.
The Kochi-based Imthiyas Aboobacker has created a music video ‘Motherland’ using the song in the context of conveying one’s love for his or her mother and native land.
According to Imthiyas, the four lines of the song, as we know it, is all fun. He, along with Priya G, wrote the rest of the lyrics for the song, which has been used in the video.
“I haven’t seen people exploring the possibilities of Ayyappan’s mother. No one talks about her. To make this happen, we gave a unique take to a mother and child’s relationship through the video,” he says.
For the music video, the creators have used the concept of nano music. “We explore a storyline, usually a small and simple one with profound meaning, using the medium of music. This is probably the first time such a concept is explored. At least, the keyword is used for the first time,” says Imthiyas, who was the director, producer and one of the lyricists.
The video, set in Kochi, revolves around the main character’s relationship with his mother. He has a Malayali father and a foreign mother. “Through the song, he reminisces about the fun times he had in his native place when he was just a child. When we talk about the totality of the relationship, we decided to bring in the man’s love for his native place as well,” says the director.
The film, released by Goodwill Entertainments on YouTube on November 5, had a total budget of over Rs 9 lakh. “We spent so much because we did not want to compromise on the quality,” says Imthiyas. Salaam Bukhari and German performing artist Marjam Aila Juliane Unger are seen in the main roles. While Sameer Haq handled the camera, Ayoob Khan did the editing. The song was sung by Rakesh Kesavan.
Since its release, the video has garnered praise from all quarters. “Many from the film industry had called to say the technical aspect of the video couldn’t be any better. Some said the video was so relatable,” says Imthiyas.