Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman on Sunday unveiled the first look of his latest production venture Headhunting to Beatboxing, a documentary on the Naga tribe, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
“ Fresh from Cannes! We're thrilled to unveil the first look of our documentary, 'Headhunting to Beatboxing,' now in post-production. Stay tuned for more updates,” the Maidaan composer wrote on X alongside a poster of the project.
Directed by Rohit Gupta, the feature documentary explores the Naga tribe in Nagaland. Once plagued by violence and turmoil, the community is now experiencing a revival through the transformative power of music.
“I was blown away, the whole story that we’ve been hearing for years, decades, and suddenly the transformation of young people taking to music and they’re all out in the streets. It was like a dreamland for me. I said, ‘Oh, my God, this exists and nobody knows about it’,” Rahman told Variety.
Inspired by this story, Rahman reached out to Gupta, known for his Netflix documentary series The Creative Indians, to collaborate on this project. “And then we were in it,” the music composer added.
Rahman also revealed that they adopted an orphanage in Nagaland to teach music. “We teach them strings, and they're quick learners because they already have a musical background from church choirs,” he said.
Headhunting to Beatboxing is produced by A.R. Rahman through his ARR Immersive Entertainment company. Abu Metha, Adam J. Greig, Theja Meru, Rohit Gupta, Sheila Houlahan and Rohhit Daas serve as executive producers.
