KOCHI: Though an Ayurveda doctor by profession, Shani Hafees always had her heart set on music. She sang and co-produced the song of the ‘Kaumaaram’ segment of Pennaal project, which was directed by actress Surabhi Lakshmi. Shani’s latest work, ‘Marupiranthaal’, a Tamil music video which addresses the issues faced by women in society, won the award for the best music video award at the International Thai Film Festival.
‘Marupiranthaal’ was the only music video officially selected from India and competed with an American music video to bag the top honour. The video premiered at this year’s International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala. “‘Marupiranthaal’ was sent to 13 festivals and it was officially selected for all. The video depicts a song sung by a mother and daughter. The two are raising the concerns of women to society. The title means ‘her rebirth’. It was named so because the female characters in the song have an emotional rebirth,” says Shani. Renju Renjimaar and Rose Sherin Ansari form the main cast.
The song is sung by Shani and her elder daughter Reyah Fatima Hafees. “It was a dream come true for me. I’m a classically trained singer and wanted Reyah to be one too. She used to show great interest in music from the beginning and started training at age three. I always wanted to sing a song with her. Now she’s 10 and my 10-year-old dream has been fulfilled,” adds Shani.
The lyrics have been written by her friend Ruxeena Musthafa. “I told her that the portion sung by the mother should convey strong points while the daughter’s segment should have innocence, her concerns and the questions to society. It was so challenging to write the lyrics in a short time, but they came out well,” says Shani. Yeldho John is the music director and Abi Reji has cranked the camera. Edits are done by Premsai Mukundan. The video is directed by Shani and Adarsh Krishna. “The video quality was top-notch that we decided to send it to film festivals,” says Shani.
She says many asked her about why she chose Tamil for the song. “The language has in-built music. I have a liking towards it and the song will gain wider acceptance,” she says. Choosing a transgender as one of the protagonists was a deliberate move. “A normal woman faces so many issues in society. So you can imagine the issues faced by a transgender person. I wanted society to know it.”
She asserts that participating in film festivals has been an exhilarating experience. “It’s a double delight. I had the opportunity to see some brilliant productions by the filmmakers I admire. Our work getting selected and being awarded in the festivals encourages future projects. I was so elated when my daughter’s voice received a special mention at the International Thai Film Festival. The video was most appreciated by the audience,” says Shani.
The music video was also selected for the Festigious Film Festival, Los Angeles. Shani is the founder of Ayurdha Naturals, Ayurdha Food Tribe and Ayurdha Media House. Other than being an entrepreneur and singer, she is also a poet, lyricist and writer.