Every four years, when the FIFA World Cup comes around, Kerala’s love affair with the ‘beautiful game’ gets revitalised with fans finding novel ways of worshipping their football idols. And it’s no different this time around.
From painting their homes and vehicles with the hues of their favourite team to taking out giant posters and rallies in the names of their teams – extravaganza seems to be the norm.
And now, to add to Kerala’s vibrant ways of expressing its love for the game, there are some super groovy fan anthems too!
For instance, check out this one called ‘Football’s own country’ by Studio Mojo, which has beautiful visuals that show people from different ages and identities playing and celebrating football.
The video begins with a single line on a black screen which sets the tone for the sentiment in the song – “This is not a game, this is serious.” The song then talks about the myriad emotions people feel when they touch ball, watch the players. The playground becomes a site of celebration and “throbs with life”.
Watch it here:
Speaking to TNIE, the Bengaluru-based Studio Mojo’s Radhakrishnan Ramachandra said that the ‘Mallu Football anthem’ is a tribute to the sport’s ardent fans. Shot and edited within a week, it was launched online by Mollywood actor Prithviraj recently.
The song has been sung by Anna Katharina Valayil, who also lent her voice to the hit single ‘Appangalembadum’ in the National award-winning Ustad Hotel. She has also written the lyrics.
And this is not all. Another video called the ‘FIFA World Cup Malayalam song’, uploaded by ‘The Gramaphone Music Band’ and featuring Swapna Chittezham celebrates the state’s love for football.
The song describes the beauty and intricacies of the sport, the rhythm and the cheer it brings. It even features an adorable section where a small boy in an Argentina jersey speaks about football.
Watch it here:
FIFA anthems aside, fans in Kerala are going to new lengths to support their favourite teams too. For instance, check out this massive poster that many Brazil fans are carrying together.
But then there were others who even put together a video. The tune seems to be rather similar to ‘Aluma Doluma’ from the Ajith-starrer Vedalam, but the lyrics are quite their own. The song is an ode to the “strength of the yellow squad” and praises Brazil’s star player Neymar.
Watch here: