• Initiative succeeded without corporate sponsors, political support or celebrity endorsements.
MUMBAI, August 14, 2018 : After smashing all records for national anthems since it went live on 29 July 2018 on Youtube, the #71for71challenge set by Shayan Italia for 71 million views of his piano rendition of the Jana Gana Mana to celebrate India’s 71 years of Independence has received an overwhelming response. Despite the absence of corporate sponsors, political support for celebrity endorsements, the video has become the all-new trending rage on social and even traditional new media. It top-trended on Twitter for two days as India chose it over politics, bollywood and cricket, and the rapid acceleration of YouTube views has been tracked by the mainstream news media.
On 14 August, the video crossed 71 million YouTube views as patriotic Indians across the country embraced the #71for71 challenge.
Within days of uploading the video on 29 July, the creators of the video, pianist Shayan Italia and director Farhad Vijay Arora, set up the #71for71challenge to unite India as one for Independence Day.
“On the first day of the upload, we received more than 5 million views and quickly realised that we now had a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to connect all of India with its most emotional chord-the Jana Gana Mana,” said Shayan Italia. “We decided that our heartfelt rendition of RabindraNath Tagore’s divine ode should get, by 15 August, 71 million views-1 million views to celebrate each year of India’s 71 years of Independence.”
“India deserves the very best. This is the first time that any video from Indiahas been shot entirely in 8K Ultra HD in VFX,” said Farhad Vijay Arora. “India has shown that it has both the emotion and aspiration for bleeding edge media production.”
A powerful testimony to the power of the common Indian. Shayan Italia’s rendition has succeeded without advertisements, political support, celebrity endorsements, or campaigns in the social or traditional media.
It is now the most viewed single video of any national anthem of the world on YouTube, overtaking the French national anthem video which has 36 million views. Until now, the record for the Indian anthem was under 9 million views.
This contemporary version of the timeless classic has been arranged and rendered on the world’s grandest concert piano, the flagship Steinway Model D, to befit the Jana Gana Mana‘s majesty and stature.
Shot in 8K Ultra HD and directed by Farhad Vijay Arora, the global cross-cultural project involves the Who’s Who of audio and video world across the globe. Exceeding all expectations, within less than 24 hours of going live on YouTube, the video had crossed 5 million views. No other national anthem has seen such rapid success on YouTube or online–ever.
“India is going through trying, divisive times as never before. The singular aim was to bring all of India together in the next two weeks to celebrate our great country’s most celebrated treasure–the Jana Gana Mana ,” says Shayan Italia. “We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from the real India that’s outside the metros and outside politics or Bollywood or cricket.”
“With this video, we have proved that no matter how big the challenge, common Indian can take on the world and have the support of common Indians,” said Farhad Vijay Arora.
About Shayan Italia :
Hyderabad born and Mumbai resident, Shayan Italia is a pianist, songwriter, and entrepreneur. His latest creation is in remembrance of his mother for the gift of music she left him before she succumbed to cancer when he was a child.
