Cyclone Vardah: A tribute to Satyajit Ray, this video shows how Chennai endured the cyclone with a smile

Cyclone Vardah may have unleashed its fury on Chennai but the city seems to have found inspiration even in the turbulent winds to lift up its spirit. A video recently posted by a Chennai resident AT Bagath on his Facebook account captures how Chennai endured the cyclone while paying tribute to Satyajit Ray. [caption id=“attachment_3159772” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A still from the viral video. Facebook[/caption] Bagath supports stunning visuals of the cyclone-struck Chennai with the theme music of Ray’s classic Pather Panchali. He uses a black and white filter which lends a vintage touch to the city and at the same time sends across the message that it is not the brightest time for the people of Chennai. However, in spite of the dark cloud cast above it, Chennai seems to hold its ground in the crisis. The trees and the buildings sacrifice parts of themselves but continue to endure the havoc caused by Cyclone Vardah. The soul-stirring music on the sitar by Pandit Ravi Shankar flows in harmonically with the downpour and transports the viewer back to 1955 when Pather Panchali was released. Addressing the larger narrative, Bagath draws inspiration from the theme of Pather Panchali in which Ray showed how poverty does not govern the smile on one’s face. The film was appreciated for the latent optimism that it carried about how poverty does not nullify love, friendship and other small pleasures of life. Similarly, though cyclone is a natural calamity which the humans can do little to control. Thus, the only way out is to hold on to the hope that you have stored in some corner of your heart and stay put. Also, it is interesting to note how Begath uses the music cleverly. The music emanating from the sitar can be heard only at the time of the storm. It ceases to exist once the cyclone subsides only to be replaced by a bamboo flute which indicates that there are brighter times ahead.