Harmony with A R Rahman: Review of Season 1, Nature & Human in a Beautiful Dichotomy

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This exclusive amazon prime web series featuring artist from different arena including  Sajith Vijayan(Mizhavu), Ustad Mohi Baha’uddin Dagar(Rudra veena), Laurebam Bedabati(Khunug Eshei), Mickma Tshering Lepcha(Pangthong palith) and of course A R Rahman.

This web-series by Amazon is a pure treat to music lovers who wanted to get inspired. It is directed by national award winner Sruti Hariharan Subramaniyam, who certainly did a splendid job in this web series. This is a pure treat not only to your ear but to the eyes too as the beautiful natural sceneries of India are depicted in an entire 45 minutes. It has 5 episodes.

First Episode: Entering the Kalari

First episode “Entering the Kalari”, is about a rare Indian sound, which Rahman found in the beautiful tranquility of Kerala (as it was shot before the floods). Just outside Thrissur, he discovers the Mizhavu, a temple drum, whose striking, powerful sounds accompany the performance art of koodiyattam. This drum is considered to be sacred and earlier can only be played in the temples only. This drum is made by the pot whose mouth is closed by the skin of calf. Featuring Sajith Vijayan, an artist who strongly believes that it is divine force.

Second Episode: Looking At The Swar

Second episode “Looking at the Swar” is shot in the Navi Mumbai, where Rahman, encounters the ancient, classical musical instrument, Rudra Veena. Featuring Ustad Mohi Baha’uddin Dagar, the last scion of Dagar musical family. Who is trying to preserve the practices the drupad tradition through this ancient veena.

Third Episode: Listening to Nature

In third episode ” listening to Nature” , Rahman turns to the beautiful state of Manipur, and in search of even more beautiful traditional voice of Lourebam Bedabati, a traditional folk singer. Folk songs, which are collectively called the Khunung Eshei, just as vibrant as the people of manipur.

Fourth Episode Achuley: We Are All One

The fourth episode “Achuley: We are all one” is featuring last artist Michma Tshering Lepcha, who is an aboriginal of Sikkim with the Pangthong Palith, a bamboo flute that originated from the lepchas, an indigenous tribe of aborigines who live in the mountains. The flute is believed to earn any player the favor of the gods.

The last episode “Mann mauj mein– heart is in ecstasy” is a combination of all these featured artist, who comes together to give an out of the world music in the direction of A R Rahman.

Overall this series truly dignify its name “Harmony”. Equal credit should go to the direction as well. It’s an icing on cake, when beautiful music is being played in the beautiful scenery of mother nature. The overall experience seems like, one is sitting in the laps of mother nature, and tears are flowing continuously without any hindrance. And a point comes when you just feel this is the place where I should be forever. A dichotomy of human and nature is beautifully knotted and weaved in this series and we hope to see its next series soon.