Tura, Aug. 29: The music video Jakgitel - A Prayer for Peace, which is now being broadcast on MTV Indies, is the first Garo music video to be aired in any national music channel.
"I feel proud! It is very encouraging," said composer and lyricist Mikhail Marak.
He approached MTV Indies in January and was advised by the channel to obtain a censor's certificate. He submitted the video to MTV Indies in February and was waiting for its telecast.
His wait was finally answered on Wednesday, when it was telecast for the first time.
The video is on air daily at 8am, noon and 7pm.
The song, composed and written by Mikhail, 27, from Tura speaks volumes about the prevailing situation in the Garo hills.
"I was deeply hurt with the unrest in Garo hills which sparked the idea of creating a song to appeal for peace," said Mikhail, who is here after successfully completing his post-graduation in film-making (specialising in audiography) from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Calcutta.
Mikhail did his BA in music from St Anthony's College, Shillong.
"I was deeply hurt and pained at the brutal killing of Josbina Sangma and shooting of a petrol pump worker in here last year. I feel this has to stop somewhere and someone has to take the initiative. Music is a powerful form of expression and could well be a tool that could move heart and soul of all; why not use it as a message of love and sing a prayer for peace?" he said when asked about the conceptualisation of the lyrics.
Sangma was shot in the head by GNLA militants in the presence of her husband and four children lastyear.
Mikhail said: "I wrote the song in a poem format and later composed it."
The video was shot in December last year and sung by 16 artistes.
He said last year during his winter break, he came here with his friends from the film institute who helped him shoot and edit the music video.
"I had a dream to get all the well-known faces and artistes to come for one cause and one song. After meeting different people, I managed to get all of them who volunteered to work for the project."
Mikhail raised funds to shoot the video.
"As a student with no earning and limited resources, I would not have been able to produce the video. But friends, well-wishers and artistes supported my dream. The singers were very excited and wanted to come for the cause," he quipped.
He said various artistes who performed at Ahaia Winter Festival here last year, came forward to raise funds for production of DVDs which were distributed free to those who contributed generously.
"We collected donations which were given to an NGO - Women's Empowerment Development Society - through Hawakhana Baptist Church, Tura," he said.
Mikhail added that various items were donated during Christmas last year to the poor.
He was recently honoured by the directorate of youth and sports affairs, Meghalaya, for the music video under the category of peace and harmony.
Earlier this year, he won the National Students' Film Award (NSFA) for "best sound design" for an experimental film For Children Only.
In 2014, Mikhail was selected to represent India at the Asian Film Academy, Busan, in South Korea, where he won a scholarship from Dongseo University for "best teamwork in short film production". He also won the "best sound mixing" award for Bhadralok's Adventure at the seventh Filmsaaz 2014 in the international category.
At present he is working on a few Garo numbers. "I want to showcase the beauty of the Garo hills and the vibrant culture of the Garos through music," he said.
