There are many reasons to watch “Manmadhan Ambu”, Kamal Hasan’s movie released yesterday. For me, just one was enough – the backward narrative song “Neela Vaanam”. There is something weirdly compelling about watching a story unfold backwards. It’s jaw dropping how everything in the song moves backwards, except Kamal’s lips which sync perfectly with the song! He must have spent a lot of time learning to mouth the song in reverse during the shoot.
I went back home cheering the creative genius I had just seen only to be deeply disappointed when I found that the song’s premise was lifted from Coldplay’s Scientist.
The backward song video is not a new concept but Neela Vaanam likely the first Indian song to implement it. If you are aware of any other Indian song that implements backwards narrative, please let me know. And copy or not, the Neela Vaanam video is still cool and Manmadhan Ambu is still a nice movie.
Here are a few other reverse playback music videos that I could dig up:
- Drop by The Pharcyde
- From Your Mouth by God Lives Underwater
- Typical by Mutemath
- Sitting, Wishing, Waiting by Jack Johnson
- Sugar Water by Cibo Matto
- Return to Innocence by Enigma
- Playing Hard to Want by Iron On
- Blowing Dirt by Goodshirt
- Ripping Kittin by Golden Boy and Miss Kittin’s
- Istället för Musik: Förvirring by Bob Hund
- Imitation of Life by REM
Playing Hard to Want – IRON ON
gutrf | Myspace Video