In Short
Air India unveils 'Safety Mudras', a new inflight safety video
Video showcases various Indian classical and folk dances
Project involves Prasoon Joshi, Shankar Mahadevan, and Bharatbala
Air India launched a new inflight safety video on Friday celebrating Indian classical and folk dance forms.
The video, titled ‘Safety Mudras', shows dancers performing the Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kathak, Ghoomar, Bihu and Giddha as a voice narrates the safety instructions for passengers.
Each dancer narrates a specific part of the safety instructions and depicts it using 'mudras' (hand gesture).
A statement by the airline said the video was developed in collaboration with lyricist Prasoon Joshi, singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, and director Bharatbala.
The video's music was composed by Shankar Mahadevan, who lauded the airline for "creating something that has never been done before".
"With the new chapter of Air India, their safety instruction video too is path-breaking and very culturally rich," he added.
Prasoon Joshi said the team behind the video went to great lengths to "poise the essential and the evocative".
Explaining the concept behind the video, the lyricist said, "Indian classical dance forms have one unique dimension - storytelling. And that is what made me think of this idea of using these Indian dance forms to deliver the safety instructions for air travel."
Director Bharatbala said the video enables passengers to "experience India visually, musically, and emotionally on a grand canvas".
He added that filming the dancers in different landscapes and monuments was meant to give each dance form its place of pride.
The CEO and Managing Director of Air India, Campbell Wilson, said the airline is delighted to present a work of art that is designed to deliver essential safety instructions while showcasing India’s rich cultural diversity to travellers around the world.
"Our guests will find this inflight safety video to be more immersive and informative, and a warm welcome to India from the moment they step onboard," said Wilson.
The safety video will be initially accessible on Air India’s recently introduced A350 aircraft and will be progressively deployed on other aircraft.
By Poulomi Saha
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/air-india-new-inflight-safety-video-safety-mudras-celebrates-india-dance-forms-video-2506406-2024-02-23