Is this how it’s gonna be
Wondering if this is all I have to do
Almost all of us will relate to these lines — Chennai-based singer Shilpa Natarajan's latest music video is all about the Lockdown life. The indie musician, who also teaches at a montessori school in Chennai, says the song is nothing but her thoughts gathered together.
Titled Lockdown, the music video has been recorded and shot on a phone and the entire post-production was managed through video calls, emails and messaging apps. "I was reading these articles on how the situation is dire and a dystopian future awaits us and I was a bit disturbed. I started thinking that is this never going to end? Is this the future?" said Shilpa. "I recorded it and sent it to Naveen Samson Benjamin to help me with the mixing. I have worked with him before and he agreed to help out," she added.
Arun Mukkath, Shilpa's husband, helped out with the direction and cinematography and did a decent job. "He had studied visual communication but is with an IT firm now. But he has not lost his touch," said Shilpa. While Sumia Roy helped edited the video, Dani Raymond helped with the colouring.
The video has been shot in Shilpa and Arun's house and shows her doing daily chores and wondering when the lockdown will end. The simple but catchy tune stays with you and you might find yourself humming it while dusting, cooking or washing clothes.
Shilpa is not very impressed with the independent music scene in Chennai. "People are more into film music here. If I were a playback singer I would be earning from a video like this," she said. Even though the song is available on iTunes, Spotify, Saavan and 717 other platforms across the world, it hardly generates any revenue. "If 50 people listen to it I get a cent. It does not help unless you have millions of listens or followers," she added.
But that's not it. The video features two more important characters who need mention — three-year-old Matku and 11-month-old Soju. Both of them rescue cats. They play around the house, rest inside buckets and chase imaginary flies and enemies around the house throughout the video. It's a treat to watch.
