Director Ravindra Gautam talks about Producer Zishan Haider’s music video ‘Maa’

For Director Ravindra Gautam, working on his music video Maa was a personal victory. He says that the song is dedicated to Zishan Haider’s late mother and helping him make this tribute was truly overwhelming.

Lucknowite and filmmaker Zishan Haider has shot the song Maa which he has dedicated to his mother who passed away in the Alaya Apartment collapse tragedy at the Wazir Hasan Road in the city, on January 24 last year. The song directed by the Maharani 2 director Ravindra Gautam was shot with actors Anupamaa fame actors Sudhanshu Pandey and Alpana Buch in Lucknow.

As for Ravindra Gautam, he has been the Director of Maharani S2, 21 Topon Ki Salaami. As Producer, Ravindra Gautam has helmed TV shows Shravani and has Dahej Daasi coming soon.

Says Ravindra Gautam, “In this case as it was a very personal tragedy, the emotions were very real for each one of us, including me. I just kept the emotions alive in every frame. It was a deliberate effort to keep the audience engaged in the emotions and not the framing or cinematography or beauty.”

He adds, “It actually becomes easy to depict these emotions as we all are so deeply connected with the music and the thoughts behind it. When it affects us personally, emotions automatically flow as was the case with song. The artists were so immersed with the emotion and emotions flowed so naturally that I just captured it raw.”

Talking about his association, he says, “Zishan and I have been friends for the last 5 years and always wanted to collaborate and work together. We were planning a few things including this song five years ago, when his mother was alive. He used to say ‘Bhai ye gaana meri ma ko bahot pasand hai, iska music video banaate hain’. But somehow we could not make it. After this tragedy when Zishan expressed his desire to dedicate this song to aunty, he called me and I instantly said yes. And this collaboration was not because he’s a producer and I am a director, it was because of the brotherly bond we share and I deeply understand the pain he is going through since aunty’s demise.”