Production

In the West, Swan Song is an idiom often used to denote a final act or performance, in reference to the beautiful song the swan is believed to sing right before death. In contrast, the East perceives the Swan (Hamsa in Sanskrit) as a symbol of supreme consciousness – of life and freedom! Hamsa resides in each of us, manifesting itself as the song and dance of human life, the breath! The inhalation makes the sound ‘ham’ (I am) and exhalation ‘sa’ (This). By continuously humming its own name ham-sa-ham-sa, the inner divine reveals itself to the human – soham: I am HE (this) - HE who is free - free from bondage! The Swan is a homeless free wanderer, that swims on the surface of the water and soars into the air; at ease in both and not bound to either!

SOHAM happened at a pivotal time in the personal lives of collaborators Ranjani Ramakrishnan (Music Composition, Direction & Performance) and Divya Devaguptapu (Concept, Choreography, Performance & Production). The making of the film became an external manifestation of their own inner journeys in search for truth and freedom from fear. To effectively embody and convey the essence of Hamsa, meant a deep dive into understanding the inner workings of human frailties. As they peeled and uncovered their own inner garbs of ignorance, it manifested as the film in the external…. a film which was as much about creation, as it was about dissolution. soham the film, is a symbol of NOW; of awareness; of both birth and death - of every moment!

In this film, the iconic ballet Dying Swan becomes a point of departure - compositionally, choreographically and metaphorically. Soham is the Immortal Swan Song of the East, performed in the movement language of Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical Dance) and a soundscape of Carnatic Music (Indian Classical Music).