National award winning actress Shweta Basu Prasad’s documentary on classical music will be screened in Mumbai, at the up-coming Khala Goda festival. Called Roots, the film covers the deteriorating state of classical music. The Makdee actress announced the project in 2014, with herself as the director.
In an interview with the Indian Express, the 26-year-old actress spoke about her curiosity for classical music while growing up.
“I didn’t have enough friends who were interested in classical music. Like most youngsters, they thought it’s not ‘cool’. I wondered why so? I was the same age as my friends and I had been a listener. I realised it was the lack of exposure. Be it television, films, radio – classical music is not the first genre one would tune into. And it shouldn’t be. One should be open to all kinds of music – Bollywood, pop, rock, jazz, folk and classical,” said Shweta.
She tapped on to reason for the slow death of the music form in the country, especially among her generation of people. It took her close to four years to research and form a team. “I feel Roots is like a blessing and it has been a great journey,” she added.
Roots showcases not just Shweta’s perspective about classical music but also echoes the feelings of industry stalwarts like AR Rahman, Gulzar, Amit Trivedi, Vishal Bharadwaj, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Birju Maharaj, Imtiaz Ali, Shubha Mudgal, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, and Dr. L Subramaniam.
She also added how the musicians themselves were concerned about the promotion of classical music among the youth. “It is a very special and emotional moment for me. I feel like I am about to share a part of me with the world. I look forward to a good screening and would love to screen it at many other music festivals, film festivals, art festivals, schools and colleges, etc.,” Shweta stated.
Picture Courtesy: Indian Express
The documentary will also see a 10 minute animation feature tracing the 5000 year journey of Indian music.
Meanwhile, Shweta will be seen in the Varun Dhawan-Alia Bhatt starer Badrinath Ki Dulhania.
