When I ask actor-composer Neeraj Madhav about the underlying tone of shrillness and anger in some of the lines of his recent hip-hop numbers, he explains that bragging is a part of hip-hop music. “Hip-hop has an element of showing off or boasting. It is about self-upliftment and embracing yourself. It can also be a way of venting out anger.
As hip-hop artist NJ, he has cemented his place in Kerala’s rap-heavy indie music scene. His latest single is ‘Ballatha Jathi’, a collaboration with homegrown hip-hop artists Dabzee and Baby Jean. The earworm has garnered 14 million views on YouTube and has been streamed over 20 million times [at the time of writing] It has been viewed on several audio streaming platforms since its release in June. The song will be a part of his album, PadakuthiraWhich is likely to be released later this year. He intends to collaborate with musicians across language and regional barriers for this album.
“Nothing [films] came after the exciting RDX ,robert downey xavier) I’m a right-brained person, and if I’m not enjoying the process [of creating] So I can’t do it. If something doesn’t excite me, I don’t want to do it!”
Coming from an industry where one’s relevance is measured by the number of times one is ‘seen’ on screen, Neeraj actively chooses to push the boundaries. He also refuses to be complacent, doesn’t try to fit in, and prefers to be selective rather than taking projects just to make up the numbers. He will next be seen in the film Vashi web series by director vishnu raghav, love under construction, It is scheduled to stream on Disney Hotstar.
Music Focus
He chooses to focus on his music, which she agrees with, He has had the opportunity to reach another audience. His musicianship appeals to a “younger, cooler audience”. Music gives him space to experiment as an artist; his repertoire includes hip-hop as well as melodies and pop songs.
The 34-year-old’s first rap number, which came out in 2020, Jungle Rap; Panipali After this Neeraj never looked back as a musician. The field of indie music has grown rapidly and unlike before it is financially viable for musicians.
One of the most important factors that contributed to the success of ‘Ballatha Jaathi’, according to Neeraj, is the familiarity with ‘Malabari’ slang. Films based in the region and the popularity of musicians like Dabzee and Baby Jean who hail from North Kerala are factors that have brought the dialect and slang of the region into the mainstream.
Neeraj says, “I wrote the hook for the song in 2020, but I didn’t try to produce it then because I thought people wouldn’t understand it. Now is the right time to collaborate with Dubzzy and Baby Jean; we are from that part of Kerala.”
While he hails from Kozhikode, Dubjee and Baby Jean are from Malappuram. Rapper-producer Reji, who hails from Kannur, has put together a great lineup of artistes to reflect the culture of Malabar. Three different genres of the genre come together seamlessly in this song. The video is stunning, and the song is an ear-buster that you’ll listen to over and over again.
Making Ballatha Jathi…
Instead of creating a video with the aesthetics of the original hip-hop genre, Neeraj wanted something rooted in the local culture because of the vibrant subculture around Malayalam hip-hop music and musicians. “American hip hop is inspired by hood culture and gun violence, which we cannot relate to. We could only take the essence of it and add local and ethnic elements with some cultural integration. Since Malabar has a strong Arab influence, we discussed the concept of Arabian Nights and reworked it for the video!” The concept and direction is done by Pranav Sasidharan. He has left no stone unturned in creating the single with the intention of creating a ‘benchmark’ for indie music.
“Unlike films, as a musician there is creative freedom. There are no restrictions. There have been successes and failures, but it has been an exciting journey in music.” He finds live performances “exhilarating”.
That being said, he loves both his jobs – as an actor and a musician. “In acting, the satisfaction doesn’t come immediately like in live performances. That being said, you can remain an actor at any level. Films give you a bigger space to tell a story. Music is the same, where you get five or ten minutes. I am a fan of storytelling.”
Storyteller First
She began her acting career in 2013 with her notable role in Vishyam Monichan has been a part of movies such as. perfumer, Oru Mexican Aparatha, Saptamshri Thasakrah, Kunjiramayanam, Charlie, eddy kapyare kootamani, Enakkilum Chandrike and, most recently, Varshangalakku SheshamNeeraj was one of the first actors from the Malayalam film industry to appear in a web seriesthe family man (2019) Amazon Prime and later feels like jealousy on Netflix. He was also working in other language industries like Gautham Menon’s Tamil gangster film vendu thanindhatu kaadu (2022), when RDX came to call.
Neeraj Madhav | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This 2023 film directed by Nahas Hidayat, in which he played the lead role alongside Shane Nigam and Anthony Varghese, was a film any actor could dream of. Xavier was proof and evidence that he could do a variety of roles, even action-hero roles. He wanted a means of comeback because “if you do character actor-type roles in other language industries, chances are you will get the same kind of roles again.”
In the 10-plus years since his acting debut, Neeraj has made his way in an industry that is still largely driven by camps and connections, unless you are an A-lister. The agony of struggling finds expression in his music to some extent. “Yes, my songs have autobiographical elements. I too have faced my problems in trying to deal with the system, but I am still standing.” These feelings find expression in his music, where he writes about, among other things, being an outsider and not being welcomed.
Neeraj is now co-writing a few scripts that he wants to produce. “Fortunately, today I am in a position to plan projects for myself. Look at what Rakshit Shetty and Rishab Shetty are doing. Instead of waiting for exciting projects to come my way, I want to make them happen.”
