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When composer Shakthi Kanth Karthick walked in to meet with the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) which had roped him in to create an election anthem for Jagan Mohan Reddy, political strategist Prashant Kishor had already decided on the hook: “Ravali Jagan, Kavali Jagan”. The catchphrase, which translates to “Jagan is coming, we need Jagan”, was chosen because it would be crystal clear even on small phones. Karthick, known for the success of soundtracks for Telugu films Happy Wedding (2018) and Fidaa (2017), built a rousing song around it with lyrics that capture the essence of poll promises and stoke nostalgia for Reddy’s late father. Sweeping slow-motion visuals shot by drone of crowds at the YSR Congress Party leader’s 341-day walkathon across the state of Andhra Pradesh were added too.
So far, the track has been viewed an impressive 22 million times on YouTube, comfortably making it the most popular poll song this election. It took seven months to make and was mixed in at least six formats — among them, to be played with loudspeakers at public meetings, in bike rallies, and used for ringtones and bulk voice calls. YouTube views may be an imperfect measure of on-ground impact but one thing is certain, people have been listening. “I approached it the same way I would a film assignment,” says Karthick. A solid strategy perhaps given Telugu cinema’s immense appeal. Even one- and two-year-olds, who cannot yet vote, have been filmed by their parents singing covers. “That is the first sign something is viral.”
Virality is one of thing political parties hope for when they rope in star musicians and release elaborate videos. Names including lyricist Javed Akhtar, admen Prasoon Joshi and Piyush Pandey, singers Shankar Mahadevan and Avadhoot Gupte have been associated with campaign songs in the past few elections. Sometimes, if they are close to a party, artists work for free. Producing the music alone can cost anywhere up to the industry basic, that is ~10 lakh. Videos hike that figure. Some parties pick a single song, while some publish entire albums. Road shows are shows, after all, and music creates spectacle. Songs have either been pre-recorded or performed live. Other than original compositions, permission is sometimes sought to use existing songs, or parodies are recorded of hit songs.
It is not a new phenomenon either. Parties at the top have traditionally sought the help of virtuosos from filmdom. Historian S C Sarkar, writing in 1962 about the third general elections after independence, noted that the Indian National Congress (INC) had ordered 6,000 gramophone records to be played in different constituencies. “The latest propaganda media are recorded songs of film playbacks.” In 1971, music director Prem Dhawan had come up with the lyric: “There is not enough oil to nourish the Jana Sangh deep (lamp).” The music composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji had said in 1989 they would use the hook “Oye Oye Owah”, drawn from the hit song featured in Tridev, in campaign songs for the Congress.
Lyricist Sameer, whose father Anjan’s “Khaike Paan Banaraswala” from Don was used when Amitabh Bachchan contested for Congress in Allahabad in 1984, created a parody of “Chor Bazari” from Love Aaj Kal for Congress’s Ashok Chavan. During the 1998 elections, the first to be heavily televised, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was said to have hired a team of lyricists which remixed political messages critical of the opposition parties into popular film and pop songs. Audio cassettes had been the medium of distribution then. Another case in point is Samajwadi Party’s reimagining of Bruce Springsteen’s “We didn’t start the fire, it was always burning” as “Mann se hai Mulayam, par irade loha hai”. Sapna Awasthi’s “Main aai hoon UP-Bihar lootne” was another favourite for parodies in elections there.
Shakthi Kanth Karthick’s (left) composition for YSR Congress Party is the most popular song this poll season, while Jakes Bejoy (right) is the man behind the song for Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad bid
A good song can halve the effort involved in acquainting the public with leaders and manifestos. It is a tuneful, often superficial, substitute for deeper evidence or thoughtful discussion related to policy. The BJP in one of its campaign songs, which has 12 million views, attempted to convert rap into political capital, urging first time voters by breathlessly listing schemes such as “Digital India”, “Skill India”, “LPG subsidy”, and “Startup India” as having been “done, done” or already fulfilled by Narendra Modi. In the INC’s rock-inspired election theme “Ab Hoga Nyay”, “NYAY” stands for the party’s flagship scheme guaranteeing minimum income, and is also the opposite of “anyay” which signifies the present state of affairs. Both parties recorded songs in multiple Indian languages.
Regional campaigns provide interesting examples of less mass-oriented, more localised music. In Mumbai, a new party Durbal Ghatak Aghadi released a powada — a high-octane ballad in which the shahir (singer) switches between song and spoken word — to announce its participation and principles; in rallies, this was paired with live dafli performances. Given the party’s modest means, a local team mixed the song at no charge. As the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) led by Prakash Ambedkar entered the fray, with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) for its ally, they showcased live performances of a coalescent form that has always been popular in Dalit-Ambedkarite gatherings: the Marathi qawwali. Here too the performer alternates between singing and talk, accompanied usually by harmonium sounds. Altaf Raja is among the well-known exponents of this style.
Especially in the southern states, songs are a preferred vehicle for touting personalities and plans. The pan-India song of the Congress for the Lok Sabha election recorded in Hindi has 0.18 million views, for example, compared with its Malayalam song “Jananayaka” made specifically for Rahul Gandhi’s bid in Wayanad, which has 0.12 million views. The latter song’s composer Jakes Bejoy, mainly a music director for films, says he decided on an orchestral arrangement that can easily stir listeners. By contrast, campaign themes for K Surendran of BJP mimic the songs sung in devotion to Ayyappan. This state has a strong tradition of folk-style Communist songs of the struggle, which were sung by thousands of labourers and peasants participating in the movement. The theme song for the 2019 Communist candidate P Rajeev “Dil mein Rajeev, Dilli mein Rajeev”, styled as a march, was created by movie composer Bijibal, who had made the soundtrack for Arabikkatha, Lal Jose’s 2007 Malayalam film based on a split in the state’s Communist Party.
In Tamil Nadu, whereas the DMK traditionally benefited from having a strong orator in M Karunanidhi at the helm, AIADMK relied on lines and songs from MGR’s hit films after a bullet injury affected the leader’s voice. Ilaiyaraaja was known to have performed Communist Party ballads in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala as a teen while touring with his elder brother Varadharajan’s troupe. It is not uncommon for listeners in southern states to appreciate political songs in other languages, regardless of whether they are eligible to vote for the concerned candidate. “The language barrier is not as strong here,” says composer Karthick.
Some are wary of potential misuse of songs. In 1996, after a Konkani song criticising the Congress party and endorsing the opposition candidate was aired on radio in Goa, the radio station was asked for an explanation on fears that the model code of conduct not be breached. Aamir Khan had previously declined a request from the the National Democratic Alliance for permission to use the song “Mehngai Dayan” from Peepli Live (2010) for campaigning in UP and Bihar. Recently, Babul Supriyo recorded a campaign song without permission, “Ei Trinamool Ar Na” or “Trinamool no more”, which was reportedly being played despite being banned by the Election Commission. “Speaking ill of an opponent is juvenile,” observes Bejoy, adding perhaps too hopefully, “It has to be a healthy battle.”
