Although written as far back as 1882, Bankim Chandra’s ‘Vande Maataram’ (from his novel Anandamath) is very much part of present India as it was given the status of the National Song post-independence. Innumerable renditions of the song have enabled it to pass from one generation to the next, keeping it alive for the masses in some form or the other. While the circumstances in which it was first conceived and sung may be lost on present generations, the spirit of the song cannot fail to impress an immediate sentimentality attached to one’s motherland. When popular singer/composer A.R. Rehman sang a new version, even though the lyrics were his own, it nevertheless carried the same passion and sentiments of love and devotion and with the help of spectacular images from all parts of the country, it continued to work its magic upon the people.
