Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)
In 2011, a song coming out of southern India's Tamil movie industry got leaked ahead of the parent film's official release. Despite some thinness in lyrical prose, "Why this Kolaveri Di" went so viral that it remains an iconic piece of art itself.
The composer behind the song, only 19 years old at the time, remained in the shadows a bit, but lesser so in his latest effort for the 2023 mainstream Bollywood film "Jawan". Behind the superstar faces who fronted his music – Dhanush and none other than Shahrukh Khan – is Anirudh Ravichander, who is now bridging the gap further between the Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi languages with a World Tour, choosing the Dubai Frame to make the announcement. The Hukum World Tour - Alapaara Kelapparom concert will kickstart at the Coca-Cola Arena on February 10 and promises to be a vibrant spectacle, blending diverse cultures and musical influences.
Though he is the nephew of southern India's mega superstar Rajnikanth, Anirudh – many artists go with their mononyms – has carved out a name for himself. The World Tour is the next flight of stairs in that journey, with Dubai as the first step.
"The Indian diaspora has always been the biggest supporter, and as an artist, we must ensure that they do not miss their home country or its art and culture," said Anirudh at the foot of the Dubai Frame.
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"We made a conscious decision to start the world tour from Dubai, which has a strong Indian community that has showered love on the Indian artists," said the maestro, who has won two Filmfare Awards South, nine SIIMA Awards, six Edison Awards, and five Vijay Awards.
Since "Why This Kolaveri Di" got leaked and had to be released on YouTube, it has garnered more than 492 million views on the musical version alone, though it appeared in the film "3" in 2012.
Now, Anirudh’s music, with songs such as "Zinda Banda Hai" and the remix "Ramaiya Vastavaiya" in Shahrukh Khan's box-office blockbuster "Jawan", is resonating so loudly with fans that many turned up at Dubai Frame for the announcement.
"I have always focused on creating music that resonates with a diverse audience. The journey has been a blessing, and with the Hukum World Tour, I am sharing my success and journey with the audience that has appreciated my work since my debut. I look forward to meeting the lovely people of UAE and helping them immerse in music,” he said.
Tickets for the concert are available on the Platinum List, Coca-Cola arena, and Virgin Megastores.
