New online music video talks about love being the first religion

Shynee Narang (left) and Prashashti Suvarna in a still from the video

"Let's be waves and shores, the only way we know. What is there to love, but to give it all. We're two little stars, soaring through the skies. Making love as lilacs, dancing between space…' constitute the dreamy lyrics of a song in a new web music video called Just Begun that's set to launch today.

Shynee Narang (left) and Prashashti Suvarna in a still from the video

Remember the Indi-pop video era that was a rage in the 1990s, and the artistes who sprung up and became celebrities overnight? Percept Picture's new musical short, (which will run with the #RainbowPride) is not quite like that but managed to take us back to that time. Directed by 28-year-old Himalaya Rathod, the video features two models - 23-year-old Shynee Narang and 22-year-old Prashashti Suvarna. Set to an engaging Tropical House track, it tells a story of two girls who were in love and continue to be together post reincarnation. On a day when social media was buzzing with images of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau march at the Toronto Pride Parade, the video strikes a chord.

Prashashti Suvarna (back) and Shynee Narang (front) in a still from the video

"We wanted to make a short film about a subject that was relevant to young people. The team was at the office, when we saw the news of the Orlando shooting. That's where the idea came from. I wrote the line 'Love is the first religion' spontaneously as the thought just occurred to me. We were surprised to find out that the line hasn't been used anywhere till date," shares Rathod.

Director Himalaya Rathod (extreme right) with the crew on location in Dahanu

"I chose to go with Tropical House as a genre since it is currently popular across the world. The music is composed and performed by 20-year-old Calvin Cavern. This is his first project," he adds. Shot extensively in Dahanu, the film was written in a day. "On the days we shot, there was no rain and no sunlight either. We got by miraculously," recalls Rathod, who has been a video editor for over seven years.

"We are looking at creating digital content for the youth. Everyone talks about making content for young people without really giving them an opportunity to create the content they want. We are launching a new platform called Indian Chronicles, which will give young people a chance to create content of their choice Just Begun will be the first video to be shared on the platform. Everyone who has worked on the music video is under thirty. The stories we tell here will be more real and about relevant issues. Both Hollywood and Bollywood are seeing an increase in real stories," shares creative director Danny Mamik.
"The song is not just about the LGBT community. We have used that as a reference. We wanted to steer clear of stereotypes. It's about love being above all else. Especially in today's times, where post Orlando, events at Dhaka and Turkey have left us scarred," Mamik sums up.