AR Rahman Produced Documentary On Nagaland's Music To Debut At IFFM 2024

Following the grand announcement at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where Oscar and Grammy award-winning composer AR Rahman unveiled the first look of his documentary Headhunting To Beatboxing directed by Rohit Gupta; it was announced today that the highly anticipated documentary will see its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024, Australia.

The film explores the fascinating journey in Nagaland, of rhythm and sound, tracing the evolution of music across cultures, tribes and generations. From the ancient traditions of headhunting tribes to the musical renaissance in the state (Nagaland), taking audiences on an immersive and enlightening musical anthropological odyssey.

"The film is very special to us, as it throws light on the beautiful state of Nagaland and highlights the rich cultural and musical history it contains. Rohit and I are looking forward to the premiere and showcasing it to the audiences in Melbourne," said AR Rahman about the film's premiere at IFFM.

Directed by Rohit Gupta and produced by AR Rahman, Headhunting To Beatboxing will premiere at IFFM 2024. The documentary is also competing for the best documentary film award. Multiple award-winning composer AR Rahman along with filmmaker Rohit Gupta will attend the premiere.

"We are honored to be selected in competition at IFFM. I feel the narrative holds global relevance, along with the incredible healing power of music. The film has been painstakingly made over 5 years and I am excited to see the audience's reactions to it and for them to explore the rich cultural and musical tapestry of Nagaland. Especially to hear a completely new sound coming from India," said filmmaker Rohit Gupta.

The film marks multiple award winners, Rahman's second major foray into filmmaking as a producer, with his earlier production 99 Songs, which premiered at Busan International Film Festival. His vision behind this project stems from a desire to celebrate music's universal language and its transformative power to transcend boundaries.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange on Documentary's Special Appeal

"When we saw the documentary, we knew there was something special about it. We are delighted to have the world premiere of the film at IFFM and have Dr Rahman and filmmaker Rohit Gupta present it to our audiences," said IFFM Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange.

Headhunting To Beatboxing, directed by Rohit Gupta and produced by AR Rahman, features Abu Metha, Adam J. Greig, Theja Meru, Sheila Houlahan, Rohhit Daas as Executive producers. Celebrating its landmark 15th year, IFFM 2024 is set from 15th to 25th August. This popular festival is presented by Victoria Government and is known as one of largest annual celebrations outside India.

The documentary takes viewers on a journey through Nagaland’s rich musical heritage. It showcases how music has evolved across different cultures within this region. The film aims to highlight both traditional practices and modern influences shaping Nagaland’s unique soundscape.

This project represents AR Rahman's commitment towards promoting diverse musical traditions globally. By producing such documentaries he hopes more people will appreciate varied forms of artistic expression found around world.