Don’t worry Kerala: AR Rahman’s new tune

Life in ‘God’s Own Country’ has come to a grinding halt. The torrential rains, followed by floods and landslides in many districts has left death and widespread devastation in its wake. And despite extensive rescue and rehabilitation measures, it will take time, financial aid and many hands to rebuild the ravaged state. 

Academy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman also did his bit to raise awareness about the plight of the state by making special mention of it at his recent concert in Los Angeles. During his performance, Rahman tweaked the lyrics of his popular chartbuster, Mustafa Mustafa from the film Kadhalar Dhinam to ‘Kerala, Kerala Don’t Worry Kerala, Kaalam Nam Thozhan Kerala’, in a heartfelt attempt to boost the morale of rescue workers as well as those stranded in the relief camps. It was also a message intended for the Indian diaspora spread across the world to help their countrymen in their hour of need. 

The audience was surprised by this unexpected change and lauded his gesture with loud cheers. A video of his performance has since been going viral on online platforms. Rahman also posted on his Twitter handle, “Don’t Worry Kerala #KeralaFloods #ARRahman #HelpKerala #StandwithKerala (sic).”

Meanwhile, Rahman’s assurance has gladdened many hearts, who appreciated his gesture across various social media platforms. As one Twitter user @DineshBhaskar01 tweeted, “Thank you for supporting Kerala AR RAHMAN (sic).” Another Twitter user, Tharun Kumar wrote, “AR Rahman sir sings for #Kerala in his US concert yesterday. Hat’s off u sir @arrahman #KeralaFloods #KeralaFloodsRelief #KeralaSOS #Standwithkerala (sic).”