A.R. Rahman, Dulquer Salmaan team up for Bharatbala's initiative

File image of A.R. Rahman. Image sourced from mid-day archives

Composer A.R. Rahman, who collaborated with Bharatbala on the iconic song Vande Mataram, has launched Thaalam for the filmmaker. It has been supported by Kerala's superstar Dulquer Salmaan.

Bharatbala's Virtual Bharat is a vision for contemporary India in the form of 1000 short films. The first film, Thaalam better known as the Kerala boat race, released on Wednesday on YouTube.

"Thaalam" is presented by Rahman. It is about rhythm. Over 100 everyday men, from all walks of life, come together to row the 80-year-old boats.

He said: "At the boat races of Kerala, not one man is a professional athlete, in-fact, they are like you and me, fishermen, farmers, postmen, shopkeepers, school teachers. To row as one, they need more than just speed and talent. They need to find the Thaalam. What is Thaalam? A foundation of music, a message for all, a heartbeat, a rhythm. Imagine India on a boat.

"The boat is only as strong as the people in it. The power to win is not in any one person. The power is when all of us come together. As one. One effort. One goal. To move forward as a nation, is to dream together, to aspire together, to build together. Let us find our Thaalam, as a nation together."

Dulquer added: "I would like to start a big shout out to India from the people of Kerala. 'Thaalam' is rhythm. The rhythm of a nation. Let's find our Thaalam as a nation together! I am proud to be a part of 'Thaalam', the first film of a 1000 film journey of India by Virtual Bharat, presented by Bharatbala."

Talking about the initiative, Bharatbala said: "Some tell me Indians don't find India cool anymore, some tell me that the India we loved is no more, some tell me we don't feel for India anymore, I don't have the answers to all that...I found plenty to be proud about. I found simple human stories that want to be told...that deserve to be told. I hope we will make them our own, one story at a time, starting August 28."

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