Caste in a musical mould

The Casteless Collective at a concert. Pic/Palani Kumar Manisha

Art can of course, be just for art's sake. But sometimes, it can also serve the purpose of holding up a mirror to society, displaying its uglier side, warts and all. That's what The Casteless Collective set out to do when the group was formed in 2018. It was the collective brainchild of Pa Ranjith - director of blockbuster Tamil films who also uses the creative industries as a disruptive force - and Tenma, an independent musician who Ranjith recruited to teach the musical folk style of Gana to a bunch of singers, laying the foundations for the band.

A documentary on them, called The Casteless Collective Prologue, now sheds light on the early history of the act. It's been directed by Ranjith's long-term associate, Monesh, who travelled with the band for two years. Chennai-based Tenma tells us, "Monesh almost became a band member." That sort of intimacy gave the director an insider's perspective to tell their story. And this story is one that upholds the philosophy of Dr BR Ambedkar, he shares. Asked if the band has any philosophy, he searches for words and says, "We are basically anti-caste."

So, it stands that even though the 12-member collective from Chennai has a diverse repertoire of music that ranges from folk to hip-hop, their main intention is to foster the idea of a casteless society based on equality. Their songs are entertaining enough to make people dance, but it's not just art for art's sake, as far as they are concerned.

Log on tointrupad.com