The author takes a trip down his own memory lane and is working on the much-loved ad film ‘Mile Sur’
Three decades ago, I worked as a film executive at Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) Advertising, Madras. During my time there, I assisted in the production of two iconic films on national integration – Spread the Light of Freedom (also known as Mashal Geet or Freedom Run) and Mile Sur. The first film featured famous sports personalities carrying a lit torch, which passed from hand to hand, until it reached the hands of young children. The scenes, shot across India, were set against an upbeat soundtrack that slowly built up to a crescent moon, ending with the final notes of our cherished national anthem.
When it was first aired on 15 August 1987 it took the country by storm. Suddenly being Indian was ‘cool’. That is exactly what the then government led by Rajiv Gandhi was trying to achieve. Tired of uninspired films made by traditional production companies, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting decided they needed something modern and soul-stirring, and Torch of Freedom was born.
The film was conceptualized by the brilliant Suresh Malik, who was then the creative head of O&M, partnered by Kailash Surendranath of Far Productions. High on the film’s phenomenal success, Suresh and Kailash put their heads together to make a worthy successor the following year. Once again, they decided to follow the winning formula of a musical track with the final notes of our national anthem.
Kamal Haasan and M Balamuralikrishna
Construction of ‘Mile Sur’
But this time he chose the Indian classical route. The songs were a collaborative effort by Late Vinod Sharma and Piyush Pandey; Simple and memorable, they don’t get lost in translation.
‘If my tune is yours, then my tune becomes ours’
Rivers of Sur flowed from every direction and met in the ocean
It rained lightly in the form of clouds
The soundtrack was previously recorded. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was supposed to sing for about two minutes, but went on for 40. Kailash and the sound recordist had the task of reducing that performance to the required 50 seconds. That final edit was the seed from which the rest of the track developed. It was sent to M Balamuralikrishna, Louis Banks and PP Vaidyanathan. Louis and Vaidyanathan had to produce and modify the rest of the track in different Indian languages. Kavita Krishnamurthy sang on the guide track, and Lata Mangeshkar later sang her part in it. Kavita’s voice was retained for some of the actors, and Purnima Shrestha did some parts as well.
Actors Revathi and KR Vijaya
I got a call from Suresh Malik, requesting my help for the Madras leg of production. I only had 10 days. We managed to bring together KR Vijaya, Revathi, Ramanathan Krishnan, AV Ramanan, cricketer Venkataraghavan, Pratap Pothen and a few others. SP Balasubramaniam was on tour and could not participate. Balamuralikrishna also confirmed his presence. But one person remained elusive.
Enter Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan was the most sought after star at that time. Nayakan The previous year had won every award it deserved, and Kamal won a National Award for the title role. Every phone call of Suresh would end with ‘Get Kamal Haasan’.
(Left to Right) Geeta John, M Balamuralikrishna, Suresh Malik and a friend
After tracking down Kamal and meeting him on the sets Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, the shooting was fixed at Fisherman’s Cove. Balamuralikrishna’s shot was at sunrise. He was ready for us at 3.30! In the afternoon, the rest of the stars reported the location. Kamal was the last one to arrive, and waited his turn humbly. There was little unplanned entertainment when he took off his black T-shirt to try on a white T-shirt from Kailash. For the final shot though, he was wearing his own. This wrapped up the Madras section.
of beaches and camels
I had to talk at length with Kailash to get information about the rest of the shoots across India. Like the Torch film, the cinematographer was RM Rao. The first shot was of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi sitting by a waterfall in Khandala. Keeping in mind the lyrics of the song, many scenes of Mallika Sarabhai, Shabana, Tanuja, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, Mario Miranda.. were shot on the beach or river bank. There were also some stunning aerial shots; Suresh Malik used his ties with the Air Force to hire a helicopter to shoot for the Taj Mahal. No drones then!
A scene from ‘Mile Sur’
There was no script. This will happen melody and lyrics.. Lip-synced by famous personalities in the language of the state they belonged to.
Piyush Pandey (Today’s Worldwide Chief Creative Officer) helped organize a shot of camels by a well in Rajasthan, and my counterpart in Mumbai, Vicky Bangera, took on the challenge of getting Hindi film stars on board. Mithun Chakraborty happily agreed to come Only If there was Amitabh Bachchan too. Jitendra added. Cast of Shabana Azmi, Hema Malini and Tamso The film was shot in City.
Lata Mangeshkar stunned everyone by arriving in a white sari with green and orange borders. Once again for the film Torch, the final shot of Mile Sur again featured school children from Ooty. An important detail: the main crew, musicians, celebrities, all participated free of charge. However, technical assistant, studio, travel and production costs were covered by the I&B ministry.
A scene from ‘Mile Sur’
Look back
‘Mile Sur’ was first telecast on Doordarshan on August 15 1988. We were excited by the response to the film Torch, but were elated by the response to Sur. I was very fortunate that I got a chance to work in both. Even after 34 years, it is still played on some channel on every Republic Day or Independence Day.
M Balamuralikrishna in the recording room
Today, I am writing this to honor some of those who have passed away – Suresh Malik, PP Vaidyanathan, Pratap Pothen, and Vicky Bangera. The three lead singers of the film Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Balamuralikrishna and Lata Mangeshkar are with us, but their voice will live on for years to come.
Geeta John runs an interior design practice in Bangalore and specializes in film styling, writing and playback singing.