Press Release
We thank you for your support for Virtual Bharat, throughout our journey. This is to introduce to you our latest project: Meendum Ezhuvom.
Since 24th March, India has been under the biggest lockdown anywhere in the world. The past 9 weeks saw streets, silent villages, shuttered shops, factories and schools, offices and malls all shut down in response to an invisible threat. The effects were massive but have been entirely missed by the citizens because they were in a complete lockdown, inside their homes.
Our Vision
This is an extraordinary time in our history, one that must be documented for posterity. Generations ahead need to see how their nation of 1.3 billion came to a complete halt in the face of an unprecedented pandemic in the modern era.
While all Indians stayed in lockdown, filmmaker Bharatbala and a devoted team of 117, comprising about 15 film crews, set out to capture the unseen visuals of our nationwide lockdown.
How the vision was brought alive
The crews filmed the lockdown across 14 states, covering thousands of kilometres, to document this watershed moment of global history. The film spans the extents of the country, from Kashmir to Kerala, Gujarat to Assam.
A master control room was set up in Mumbai, with a team working round the clock, coordinating with all the crews from across the country. The on-ground crews would be directed live by director Bharatbala himself, confirming the shots and frames with instructions via video call or WhatsApp video. Technology played a key role in this nationwide project brought to life through remote filming.
The Govt. of India, Local and State authorities provided immense support in providing free access to bring together this national endeavour.
Meendum Ezhuvom!
The result is Meendum Ezhuvom (We Will Rise), an important 4-minute film that captures the nation in lockdown.
The situations the crews encountered and filmed are mesmerizing. The human story that has unfolded through their camera journeys and deeply moving visuals, is one that has echoed across demographics. Bharatbala captures an overwhelming stillness, a desolation even in the most stunning vistas that we see.
But underlying this desolation is that sliver of hope, the spirit of Meendum Ezhuvom — a tribute to this nation of vastness, of power and presence, and of scale. The thread of resilience of a country that must move again. As we move ahead from this period of lockdown, India will slowly get back to life and go forth into an uncertain future. But we will remember this time and our collective human experience in the face of this historical time. We must never forget.
Bharatbala re-imagines India for every generation. His celebration of the nation’s intangible wealth in his iconic projects like Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana (both with A.R. Rahman), Incredible India, and many others, have captured our imaginations. He helps craft new emotions this country embraces.
Meendum Ezhuvom is Bharatbala’s new clarion call, for India to rise once again. Every Indian must watch the film. It is our unbelievable story.
As a special thank you for your efforts in helping us take this film to wider audiences, we are sending you a copy of the master film for free distribution for a week, on both broadcast and digital, from 06th June – 13th June 2020. In addition, we will distribute to you soon, the YouTube link to our film, for free long-term embedding and distribution across media and digital.
Meendum Ezhuvom is the collective effort of a large number of people who have risked their lives in a difficult time to bring together this piece of work. We hope you will help us ensure that the film is treated with respect, and not modified or edited in any manner for any further content. We also request that the film copy only be used for the duration of one week. The YouTube link is free for long-term usage.
We will also have across to you by the 4th of June, a 20 second teaser of Meendum Ezhuvom for free distribution across broadcast and digital. We look forward to your support for taking Meendum Ezhuvom to every Indian!
Warmest regards,
Team Virtual Bharat
