BIG FM: BIG Mahalaya

For 87 years, Bengalis all over India have been tuning into Mahisasur Mardini - a radio program in the voice of the legend, Birendra Krishna Bhadra. And with this, for 87 years, Bengalis have been waking up to Birendra Krishna Bhadra's Mahalaya - a chant that summons the beginning of Durga Puja and is sung in praise of the Goddess. The campaign, conceptualized by Dentsu Webchutney in collaboration with BIG FM, was an attempt to gift Kolkata a new version of their beloved Mahalaya with the intent to encourage inclusiveness. This tradition has continued for decades and many artists have attempted to create a new rendition of this classic. Yet, it was only during this Durga Puja that people, for the first time in decades, experienced and listened to the ever-mandatory Mahalaya like never before - a Mahalaya that was not only different in style but also different in ‘Dhun’ (tune). Directed and recited by Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta, many influential artists such as Srabani Sen, Rupankar Bagchi, Manomay Bhattacharya, Rishi-Tirtha and Sidhu Ray came on board to contribute their voice for the BIG Mahalaya. This new Mahalaya was aired on Big FM at 4 AM on September 28. The program resonated with the devotees as it ushered a wave of transformed devotion for the Goddess through the voice of a powerful united energy. The idea wasn’t to strike a comparison with the masterpiece but to create a rendition which would allow Big FM to put forward an approach with equal opportunities for men and women alike. Consequently, the aim was not to change an 87-year-old tradition but to start a new one.