A.R. Rahman’s documentary Headhunting to Beatboxing to have world premiere at IFFM 2024

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Following the grand announcement at the 77^th Cannes Film Festival, where composer A.R. Rahman unveiled the first look of his documentary, Headhunting to Beatboxing, directed by Rohit Gupta; it was announced on June 30 that the film will see its world premiere at the Indian Film festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024, Australia.

The film explores the fascinating journey in Nagaland of rhythm and sound, tracing the evolution of music across cultures, tribes and generations. From the ancient traditions of headhunting tribes to the musical renaissance in the state (Nagaland), it takes audiences on an immersive and enlightening musical anthropological odyssey.

Speaking about the film’s premiere at the festival, Rahman said, “The film is very special to us, as it throws light on the beautiful state of Nagaland and highlights the rich cultural and musical history it contains. Rohit and I are looking forward to the premiere and showcasing it to the audiences in Melbourne.”

The documentary will also be competing for the Best Documentary award.

“We are honored to be selected in competition at IFFM. I feel the narrative holds global relevance, along with the incredible healing power of music.  The film has been painstakingly made over five years and I am excited to see the audience’s reactions to it and for them to explore the rich cultural and musical tapestry of Nagaland, especially to hear a completely new sound coming from India,” said Gupta.

The film marks Rahman’s second major foray into the realm of filmmaking as producer, after his earlier feature production, 99 Songs, which premiered at the Busan International film festival. His vision behind the project stems from a desire to celebrate the universal language of music and its transformative power to transcend boundaries.

“When we watched the documentary, we knew there was something special to it. We are delighted to have the world premiere of the film at IFFM and have Dr. Rahman and filmmaker Rohit Gupta present it to our audiences,” said IFFM Festival Director, Mitu Bhowmick Lange.

Headhunting to Beatboxing has Abu Metha, Adam J. Greig, Theja Meru, Rohit Gupta, Sheila Houlahan and Rohhit Daas as executive producers. IFFM 2024 is celebrating its landmark 15^th year and is slated to be held from August 15 to 25. The immensely popular festival is the largest annual celebration of our cinema outside India and is presented by the Victorian government.