Tamil, friendship and music: The many lives of Hiphop Tamizha Adhi

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Multi-hyphenate artiste Hiphop Tamizha Adhi ’s directorial debut, 2017’s Meesaya Murukku , might have been a commercial potboiler. Still, it interestingly captured one of the most pivotal stories in the history of modern Tamil indie music. The film was a partly fictionalised biopic of how Adhi became a pioneer of Tamil indie music, but through his story, it also reflected the reality of the indie scene. And now, almost a decade later, Tamil indie music is riding a high tide, and Adhi has returned with a sequel, Meesaya Murukku 2 , set to hit theatres on September 25.

The second film is a spiritual sequel that follows three generations of musicians. Adhi says the film tries to speak about some personal experiences that affected him, particularly his journey with gaana music. “For quite a few years, I have been working with gaana artistes and trying my best to promote gaana. Every time I tried gaana in the mainstream, the feedback made me wonder why this street art form hasn’t been getting the recognition that other styles of music get.”

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Hiphop Tamizha Adhi in a still from ‘Meesaya Murukku 2’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Exploring that question and the lessons learnt along the way form the foundation of Meesaya Murukku 2 . “Somebody has to speak about these things, and it has to happen today; back when I started, there wasn’t an industry for Tamil indie music, but we now have an industry for it. So this movie has to come out now, or it would be too late, which is why I paused everything and did this movie,” adds Adhi. If Meesaya Murukku spoke about the lives of the musicians, the sequel will speak about music itself, he says.

Playing a triple role was a challenge Adhi was prepared for. “Playing dual roles in Anbarivu gave us some exposure, but here, we had to shoot the three looks in three different time periods in three different schedules. We planned it in such a way that we could finish one, take time off, and then prepare for the next character.” This gave him the confidence to deliver his best to each role, Adhi adds.

All that said, Meesaya Murukku 2 also brings together three aspects that Hiphop Tamizha Adhi is popularly known for: promoting upcoming artistes, upholding the spirit of friendship, and Tamil cultural advocacy.

Over the decade, Adhi has paved the way for many budding talents and continues to work with younger generations of artistes through his hip-hop collective, The Underground Tribe, which aims to discover, train, and promote underground artistes. Adhi is aware of how vastly the indie industry has changed; he says the playing field is no longer fair for young artistes. “When the Internet was a free medium, the playing field was level. But now, labels pump in money for views and campaigns.