August is when preparations for the Ganesh festival in Mumbai begin. So it was surprising that no Hindi film this year had yet delivered the traditional Ganpati song. Well, worry not. The Riteish Deshmukh-starrer Banjo has just released its 'Bappa Morya Re' song.
Refreshingly hip and accompanied by the traditional rhythm of dhol taashas, the composition by Vishal-Shekhar appears to be a winner. The song features Deshmukh in his grungy avatar as a banjo player from the streets. The actor displays a manic energy that goes well with the festive background of the song. Vishal Dadlani's voice is pitch perfect and adds a dash of rock to the traditional Ganpati anthem. The takeaway image from the song is the image of Ganpati drawn on Deshmukh's hands as he worships the 'remover of obstacles'.
Deshmukh was quick to share the song with his fans on Twitter.
The foot-tapping beats and Deshmukh's banjo-playing are eye-catching and will make the song an anthem for the festival across Mumbai. The festival begins on 5 September, and is likely to set the tempo for the release of the film.
Banjo is the Hindi debut of director Ravi Jadhav, and will see Deshmukh in the role of a banjo player from the streets of Mumbai. The film also stars Nargis Fakhri as a DJ, and is set to release on 23 September.