Singer-composer Amritha Rajan in a still from the video for “Kadalinnazham.” Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Indie artist Amritha Rajan’s latest Malayalam song “Kadalinnazham” sees the artist team up with producer 6091 aka Gopi, plus the video team of cinematographer Rejath Krishnan and director Vishnu V.R. to create a short film set in Gulmarg, Kashmir.
Singer-composer Rajan, who shot to fame after finishing in the top six on singing reality show Rising Star in 2019, says she wrote “Kadalinnazham” on the ukulele during her days as a college student and picked back up on it once she and producer Rohith Krishnan came across Vishnu’s work. “After listening to the song, Vishnu and Rejath developed the narrative and story for the video. They provided me with the script, which we reviewed together and made some corrections to before we finalized it,” she says.
In the nine-minute video for “Kadalinnazham,” Rajan makes travel plans with a friend to visit Kashmir together for the first time. As she lands up in the valley, her friend backs out but encourages Rajan to carry on as a solo trip. She says the script and characters were influenced by real-life experiences, including the thoughts of self-doubt that Rajan undergoes when contemplating the solo trip. “Much like abstract art, the music video contains hidden messages that viewers can interpret based on their own experiences and perspectives,” she adds.
Like in the video’s script, the music video for “Kadalinnazham” also marked Rajan’s first visit to Kashmir. “The only challenge was a scene where I had to wash my face with cold river water. Otherwise, everything went smoothly. Having Rohith and his parents with us made the journey comfortable. Our driver and tour guides were also incredibly helpful. The crew felt like family, making the entire trip enjoyable,” Rajan says.
Released via Rajan and Rohith Krishnan’s R Cleff Productions house, the singer says music videos help tell the story of her songs, plus end up becoming “highly shareable” on social media. It’s not absolutely necessary to have a video, but Rajan clearly pulled out all the stops for the slick “Kadalinnazham” film, helping add what she calls “an extra layer of creativity” to her music.
Up next, the artist will release a song called “Heal” on Oct. 10, coinciding with World Mental Health Day. It’s a song that “focuses on mental health and healing,” the artist says. Following that, Rajan plans to release “Appoopanthadi,” which she describes as “an inspiring song for the youth” and the romantic song “Naam Nila.”
