Nandagovindam Bhajans launches the first bhajan clubbing event in Kerala

The auditorium was packed with youngsters, sitting cross-legged on the floor. As the music started playing, they began swaying, singing and clapping their hands. Once the tempo picked up, they were on their feet, chanting in chorus and dancing. Those were scenes from the first bhajan clubbing event in the State, ROOTS, an initiative of Nandagovindam Bhajans, the group which has redefined devotional music scene with their blend of traditional bhajans with popular music.

Bhajan clubbing, a trend that is fast catching on showcases traditional bhajans in a pub-like atmosphere, without alcohol. ROOTS, a ticketed event for those in the age group of 15 and 35, held at Uday Samudra Convention Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, saw a turnout of over 750 people. “The response was overwhelming. Honestly, we were worried about how it would turn out. But the energy of the crowd rubbed off on us from the first song itself and we forgot that we had been standing for over three hours, which is a first for us. We were banking on the fact that Nandagovindam has a huge fan base among youngsters,” says Naveen Mohan, one of the lead singers of the group.

He adds that last year Thiruvananthapuram hosted the first programme of Bhajan Connect as well, an interactive ticketed programme, which has now become a premium event of the group, with shows being held across Kerala and venues in other States.

ROOTS, he says, is an initiative to take the youth closer to their roots through music. The playlist was designed in such a way that the audience were made part of a survey — the songs were interspersed with some pertinent multiple-choice questions on how they perceived life. They had to scan a QR code displayed on an LED wall with their phones and mark their answers. “The results showed that the problems were common, comforting them, telling them that they were not alone. That was a better way to connect with them instead of sermonising,” says Naveen.

The crowd had a surprise in store — actor, director, singer Vineeth Sreenivasan. He walked in singing ‘Kripakari’ from Aravindante Athithikal, followed by ‘Swethambarahare devi’ from Thattathin Marayathu, in which he experimented with the rendition. Upon audience’s request, which the team was obviously prepared for, he sang his hit number, ‘Omal kanmani’ from Naran, but with a different orchestration.

The group, 20 of them including Vineeth, in their trademark colour-coordinated attire [this time in black shirts and red dhotis], presented a bunch of their popular songs. “We didn’t change the core of our songs. Instead we worked on the sound since this is a generation that expects high quality soundscape at a live event. Besides our regular set of instruments, we added lead and bass guitar. They worked in unison with our keyboardist Sidharth Sankar who did the programming,” he says, adding, “Initially we had decided upon a purely Western style arrangement. But none of us were happy with that and so we changed the arrangement of most of the songs that morning!”

Among the songs/medleys presented were ‘Devadhi deva’, ‘Darikante sirassu’, ‘Andar Rama’, ‘Manohari Radhe’, ‘Vadakkumnatha’, ‘Chinna chinna Muruga’, ‘Radhathan premathodano’, ‘Neela neela’ etc. The energy of the crowd reached fever patch when they sang ‘Pamba Ganapthy’, and ‘Siyapathi’, which marked the finale.

“I have been to their Bhajan Connect at Malappuram; but this was truly magical. It is amazing how they changed the flavour of the songs and yet did not lose the charm,” says Sruthi HB, an MBA student. While Aryadev, a Class XI student, couldn’t stop praising each of the artistes; Divya Raj, another student thanked them for easing her tension with their music. There were many who had come down from other districts.

Formed in 2000 in Kottayam as a conventional bhajan group, Nandagovindam became a household name once they started presenting medley of devotional songs and later when they incorporated devotional tracks from films, besides popular background score and theme music, like the ones from 96, Bheeshma Parvam and Kadhalan. Their popularity soared during the lockdown once they posted videos on their YouTube page.

In the last 26 years, they have covered nearly 3500 stages, including those abroad, have started special sessions for mothers (Janani), in addition to their regular bhajan programmes and Bhajan Connect. They have also launched Drishti, a campaign for eye donation, as a tribute to late Rajendra Panicker, the backbone of the group who was visually challenged.

The team believes that Nandagovindam’s success rides on music and the emotion they bring on stage. “That happened because of our teamwork. The camaraderie, on and off the stage, makes us different from others. We know each other so well; our families are also close,” Naveen says about his group, which currently has 16 permanent members.

Meanwhile, the group’s journey has seen the birth of similar groups in Kerala. “We are happy that our style has influenced so many. We have a social responsibility and it makes us proud that we have been instrumental in bringing about a spiritual upliftment through bhajans,” Naveen adds.

As for the critics who take a dig at their use of film songs, they say, “Silence is the best answer. We will keep doing what we have to do, for the people who love Nandagovindam.”

Meanwhile, the group will be featured in two movies – Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa, an AI-powered film by Viji Thampy, and Saiju Kurup’s Harivarasanam. They will also bring out a new single written by BK Harinarayanan and composed by M Jayachandran.