They found there was no definitive word for privacy in Tamil and made a beautiful descriptive word - Akavurimai.
Magsaysay award winner T M Krishna and 'Kodaikanal Won't' fame rapper Sofia Ashraf joined hands with writer Perumal Murugan and activist Shital Sathe to produce a music video addressing various issues linked to the right to privacy such as - Aadhaar, beef ban, national anthem, Hadiya 'love jihad' case, and Article 366 on GST law.
The music video is called 'Akavurimai Paatu.' The 12-minute long video is split into three parts - a Hindi song on right to choice by T M Krishna, a part consisting of spoken word in Tamil about the State's control on citizens by Perumal Murugan, and Shital Sathe's street style song about a life with dignity.
Chennai rapper Sofia Ashraf's rap is heard throughout the song. The production by Vettiver Collective was done with the help of legal scholar Usha Ramanathan.
While working together, the team found that there was no definite word for "privacy" in Tamil. Therefore, a new word "akavurimai" was created.
The music video answers people's questions on the right to privacy - "What does it mean? How does it affect your life? How does it protect you from undue intrusion by the State? What does it mean for your right to choice and a life with dignity?"
This is not the first time that Vettiver Collective has produced musical activism. In January 2017, T M Krishna released a song called "Chennai Poromboke Paadal" where the Carnatic singer dedicated his tunes to save the Ennore Creek in North Chennai, an issue that actor Kamal Haasan, who is taking a political plunge, has given voice to now.
The launch of the video will take place at Kavikko Arangam, Chennai on Sunday evening. It will be followed by a panel discussion by Madras High Court Justice (Retd) Hariparanthaman, Usha Ramanathan, and feminist scholar V Geetha about the ongoing 'Love Jihad' case in Kerala High Court.
The Kerala High Court, in a controversial judgment, which has been criticised for suspending the fundamental rights of an adult, annulled the marriage of a 25-year-old woman named Akhila alias Hadiya to a man named Shafin Jahan. The court suspected that the woman converted from Hinduism to Islam through organised force.