MUMBAI: Tarsame Mittal, who manages a bevvy of famous singers, presents India’s first music video which beautifully depicts the love story between two women. Tarsame echoes the sentiment “Love is unconditional” while talking about the video, which is being discussed widely since its launch last week.
For a video which features new faces as well as a new singer, it is no small feat to have received seven hundred thousand views in just ten days. What’s even more pleasantly surprising is the positive response the lesbian love story has been getting.
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Naturally, in a society still not open to homosexuality, some naysayers are bound to make appearances. So why did the makers take this route? “Debutant singer Akshay Khot’s song is a beautiful romantic melody. But there is no shortage of romantic music videos today. So we thought, why not make it thought-provoking? That’s when we came up with this concept,” explains Tarsame.
In 2014, Celina Jaitley’s remix of the iconic Bollywood song ‘Uthe Sabke Kadam’ titled The Welcome depicted a gay relationship. “Our song Tere Bagair is the first of its kind to show a lesbian love story,” says Tarsame. Previously, Sonam Kapoor’s love story Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is the only other open depiction of a lesbian love story in the Indian popular culture.
Tarsame believes that a real change will only come when society accepts that all love is love. “In our video, the two women are in love with each other and share a healthy functional relationship. But what happens at the end is what we need to stop normalising,” explains Tarsame.
Ideally, songs and videos are promoted before the launch. But this reverse approach has a solid reason. “We wanted to see how people react to the video first. It is being loved and appreciated although everyone involved is new, actors Moumita Pal and Sofia, and singer Akshay Khot. Now that the song is getting so much love, we want to talk about it,” elaborates Tarsame.
The video features a kissing scene between the two women, a controversial move some may argue. “On one hand we’re talking about normalising homosexuality. And on the other hand, we’re questioning a kissing scene. Especially in the post-OTT era, where everything gets a pass.”
Controversial murmurs gradually come to the fore when something out of the ordinary is represented. “I will reiterate as many times as is necessary. Change comes from acceptance. And every real change takes time. Instead of criticism, I welcome an open dialogue. If our video can open the stage for an open-minded discussion as opposed to a hateful dismissal, then I believe that it has won,” concludes Tarsame.
