I want to correct that huge omission although knowing his philosophy it wouldn't have mattered to Mehta one bit,' Chhaya says.īusiness Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world.

No one mentioned that it was written by Narsinh Mehta. Subramaniam and his singer wife performed a re-composed version of 'Vaishnav Jan To'. 'When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was feted at the Maidson Square Garden, violin maestro L. It is any poet's envy that a creation not only lasts centuries but continues to retain its modernity,' Chhaya says.Īlthough 'Gandhi's Song' is pegged on 'Vaishnav Jan To' because of its global recognition, the documentary will dwell on Mehta as a poet, reformer and figure who defied constricting social norms and worked all his life to establish societal equity among people divided by castes. I would argue that the bhajan in many ways shaped Gandhi's larger socio-cultural view that was at the heart of the country's freedom movement. Each verse essentially defines what kind of moral standards should drive humans. 'Vaishnav Jan To, which is easily among the most widely sung songs in the world, was typical of Mehta's deceptively simple but profound worldview. In the tradition of the figures of the Bhakti Movement of the time, Mehta was also a pioneering social reformer who used the power of his poetry to break down rigid caste and class barriers. Mehta, who by most widely accepted consensus lived between 14, was in a sense unwitting figure in India's great Bhakti Movement, which flourished organically throughout the country during medieval times between 8 CE. 'Gandhi's Song' will be a full-length documentary feature with a clear focus on bringing Mehta and his profound philosophy about the universe to the attention of global audiences.

This particular bhajan is unique in the sense that it remains so current in its moral underpinnings about what constitutes a civilized human being,' Chhaya told IANS. This is a remarkable example of the creation being more enduring than the creator. 'Generations of Indians since Gandhi's assassination on this day sixty seven years ago have grown up thinking that 'Vaishnav Jan To' was written by him.

Old bhajan songs