Shabana Azmi voices ode to the Indian Constitution in animated short Samvidhaan

In the 75th year of India's Independence, filmmaker Kireet Khurana and his team has presented an animated ode, Samvidhaan, to the preamble of the Indian Constitution, narrated by veteran actress Shabana Azmi.

The short video of nearly one minute and 15 seconds, which released on 15 August, celebrates the idea of India at its purest, defined by the founding ideals of human dignity, inclusivity, social justice, religious freedom, and economic equity for all Indian citizens.

Azmi begins her narration of the preamble with the powerful sentence, "We, The People Of India.." and goes on to affirm values of justice, liberty, and integrity. The animated visuals show not only our founding fathers, but also its people, from all corners of the country. Displaying the qualities of  equality and unity, Samvidhaan presents a hopeful, attainable future for the next 75 years.

Khurana said of the aim to create the ode, “The preamble is perhaps the most poetic document of any Constitution. In 1947, India was deeply mired in poverty, casteism, classism, bigotry, and ignorance. For the founding fathers to envision an aspirational document that stood for justice, equality, and fraternity irrespective of caste, creed, religion, or status, shows great foresight and idealism that India has to live up to. There are many people who aren't aware of their Constitutional rights and maybe seeing the preamble in a visual form will help them look beyond media debates and to remember what it means to be Indian.”

Kireet’s father, animator and filmmaker Bhimsen Khurana had made the now-iconic short called 'Ek Anek Aur Ekta'  in 1974.  Its message "Hind Desh Ke Niwasi Sabhi Jan Ek Hain," also mirrored the values enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution.

Kireet continued, “The preamble serves as a beacon for all of us and reminds us to stay united, strong, and respect the cultural and linguistic diversity of our country. With the recent upsurge of divisiveness in our society, it is imperative that we discuss issues in a civilised manner and solve our differences through democratic and constitutional means.”
 
Azmi added, “The preamble will always remain significant as a promise that we made to ourselves and our country. It is a reminder of India envisaged by the architects of the Constitution after much deliberation and taking into account the diversity of our people. But as Javed Akhtar once said, ‘Meelon hum aa gaye...meelon humein jaana hai [We have come this far but there are still miles to go]’.”
 
Kireet went on to share, "In 1947, we had virtually nothing, and we must appreciate the remarkable strides we have made and celebrate the glorious 75 years that have put India among the top 10 nations of the world. We have a long way to go, but the foundation laid by our founders is solid and hopefully will keep on reminding us of the power of unity in diversity.”