Exclusive: Shwetha R Prasad shoots I-Day video using sign language

On Independence Day, actress Shwetha R Prasad experimented with filmmaking. She conceptualised and executed her first video that was a special rendition of the National Anthem, by young kids from an institute for speech impaired in Mysuru.
Recalling how this idea came into existence, Shwetha reveals, "As a run up to the 75 years of Independence, I began doing videos about the country by showcasing our diversity and culture.When covering linguistic minorities, I covered Braille. Following this, I thought I should look at Indian Sign Language (ISL). When I went to Mysuru to the school to learn more about the language, I met the kids who were getting trained there. I saw how they functioned and also sensed their excitement about Independence Day. This led me to quiz them about how they perform the National Anthem."

It was an experience that she will cherish all lifetime, says Shwetha, adding, "I then got an idea for this song. It was quite a challenge to get them together and perform. Additionally, we could not communicate with them, so it had to be through their parents or teachers. It was a learning experience for me. The kids were young, yet cooperated with us for as many as 15 takes. They didn't know the signs for the anthem, so they were following their teacher. We are very happy with the output."
Shwetha says she was always curious about ISL. "I watched Shabd around 15 years ago, and that is when I first got to know about ISL. One needs patience and compassion to learn it. I wanted to learn ISL and teach it. Perhaps I manifested that and this project happened," she shares.
Will she do more direction and unique concepts? Shwetha says, "It was an impromptu idea. I conceptualised it entirely on my own. A fresh photographer shot it. It was an experiment. I asked musician Narayan Sharma to help me, as I felt the violin would be the perfect for it. V Harikrishna's son, Adi, composed it. It was a bunch of newcomers coming together. It was a great experience. I have many more concepts in mind and can't wait to execute them."