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Features |  14 Aug 2015 17:38 |  By RnMTeam

Independence Day Special: Different versions of Jana Gana Mana & Vande Mataram

Independence Day has a deeper meaning, more than being just a holiday in a nation like India that strived hard to gain freedom till 15 August, 1947. Indians pay respect to this day by singing or playing the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and the national song, ‘Vande Mataram’.

Initially, both the national anthem and national song had an original version but over the last 68 years of Independence, we have found different versions of both.

Given below is a list of different versions of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vande Mataram’:

Jana Gana Mana:

Bharat Bala and A. R. Rahman came together to create this historic album called 'Jana Gana Mana' in 2000. It featured over 35 top artistes, who sang and played musical instruments. And it was produced by Bharat Bala and Kanika Myer and published by Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.

Rabindranath Tagore had four more verses of our national anthem and they have been brought together in this version of ‘Jana Gana Mana.’ Thirty-nine of India's best loved voices from across the country - from Hindustani classical masters like Girija Devi and Shiv Kumar Sharma to Carnatic wizards like Nithyashree Mahadevan and M Balamuralikrishna, from playback singers like Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik to folk singers like Lopamudra Mitra and Lakhkhandas Paul - are seen singing small strands from these fascinating verses.

In 2014, on International Women’s Day, WIFT India launched this National Anthem video featuring woman from across TV & film fraternities in India. This was their way of saluting women with tales of triumph and vindication.

Around 700 deaf and mute students from seven institutes from across Gujarat and 12 talukas of Vadodara district made a unique attempt to register a record in Limca Book of Records with the Indian national anthem in 2013. This silent National Anthem video features participants from the age of three to 25 year olds. This is one of the most heart melting ‘National Anthem’ videos.

This video is one of the best versions of ‘Vande Mataram’. It is a song, ‘sung by the people, for the people.’ This video is a must watch for every Indian as it brings out the true Indian feeling.

Vande Mataram:

This is the original version of ‘Vande Mataram’ from the film ‘Anand Math’. Since, ‘Anand Math’ was a film based on Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya’s novel this song created by him played an important part in it. The music score was given by Hemant Kumar and the song was sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

The latest in the list of Vande Mataram is a version featuring sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan. The trio has paid tribute to the nation on its 69th Independence Day with this video track titled 'Vande Mataram'. Vande Mataram has been sung by several singers over the years, but it has hardly ever been played on sarod thus, this one turns out to be refreshing.

This magnum opus Bickram Ghosh version of ‘Vande Matram’ features 22 artistes from across the country. It also packs in the original song, accentuated by alaap, western rock and a collective jam with all artistes. The video beautifully shot by filmmaker Girish Malik, captures the raw and earthy sights and sounds of Indian villages, greens, cliffs and valleys with the Vande Mataram chant in the air.

This is a mesmerising version of Vande Mataram sung by the nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar. Here additional words have been added to the original version of ‘Vande Mataram’.

This version is composed by the bansuri maestro Pannalal Ghosh and sung by Sudha Malhotra, Parul Ghosh and Manna Dey, for the film ‘Aandolan’ released in 1951.

This is a beautiful rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ from the album ‘Rock On Hindustani’ and is composed by Siddharth Kasyap. The lyrics are by Shakeel Azmi and sung by Roop Kumar Rathod and Madhushree.

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