Indian National Anthem in a New Avataar

If you've been to a movie at a PVR theater recently, you've probably seen the all-star cast of women performing the national anthem. If you've wondered—why only women in media? Where are the sportswomen? Where are the industrialists? Where are the doctors, lawyers and homemakers? The answer is simple. "This is a tribute to the women in media," as Petrina D'Rozario, the founder president of Women in Film & Television (WIFT) India, and the woman behind this initiative tells us.

Of the 38 women—Alka Yagnik, Nandita Das, Sonam Kapoor, Farah Khan, Sooni Taraporewala, Leela Samson, Nafisa Ali, Dolly Thakore, Bhanu Athaiya, Shylaja Chetlur, Ashni Parekh, Saroj Khan, Dorris Godambe, R Rohini, Deepa Bhatia, Dolly Alhuwalia, Uma Da Cunha, Usha Jhadav, Juhi Chaturvedi, Niharika Khan, Pushpa Khoshala, Anusha Mani, Shruti Pathak, Ashvini Yardi, Rituparna Sen Gupta, Gul Panag, Shriya Saran, Shweta Pandit, Lubna Salim, Geeta Kapoor, Petrina D'Rozario, Sana Moidutty, Anupama Chopra, Shruti Hasan, Anjali Shukla, Radhika Sarathkumar, Tanuja Chnadra and Ramya Krishnan—that lend their presence to the video, the five whose voices you'll hear on the sound track are Alka Yagnik, Shweta Pandit, Sana Moidutty, Shruti Pathak and Anusha Mani. If you're wondering on what basis these women from the industry were selected over others, we've been given to understand that while an invitation was extended to just about everyone in the industry, these were the few who could squeeze the time and date into their busy schedules for the requisite shoots.

Unlike most commercial ventures, where women are more often than not eye-candy, this video features women in patriotic avataars, de-glammed but gorgeous nonetheless. While the film is being screened only in PVR cinemas for now, it just may spread to other theatres. So stay glued to your seats. Actually, scratch that, stand at attention and show your respect, to the national anthem and to the women of India. To the Women in Indian Film and Television, if you want to be nit-picky about it.

If you haven't been to a theater recently, watch the women in action at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1pQSRQgrpk

Just in case you haven't heard of WIFT before, you may be interested in knowing that it's a global network exceeding 14,000 women. Women In Film and Television (WIFT) India, is reportedly a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing a dynamic platform for ideation, acceleration of professional development and recognition of the achievement of women in film, television and other screen-based media.

@AverilNunes