Why You Should Watch the Music Video of ‘Magenta Riddim’?
Magenta Riddim, is a song from DJ Snake’s second studio album Carte Blanche. The music video for this song was directed by Israeli directors Vania Heyman and Gal Muggia. It was shot in Telangana in South India in Ramoji Film City.
DJ Snake plays a French firefighter visiting India. He is hosted by a team of local firefighters. Captain Raj, the leader of the Indian team of firefighters, is a celebrity in his town, probably due to his long record of extinguishing fires. The rest of the video documents a day in the life of the Indian firefighters. The video is thoroughly entertaining for the following reasons:
1. The catchy tune
It is a foot-tapping number. Even without the excellent video, it is a song that one can play on repeat to lift up one’s mood.
2. Captain Raj
He is introduced by a TV announcer as ‘quite a busy man’. She is right. In the beginning, he engaged in a photo-op with the firefighter from France (DJ Snake). Then he is leading his brave men on a mission to fight a massive fire on the outskirts of the city. In the end, he and his team are being felicitated by community members. He is a jovial man with a shiny set of teeth and an unabashed dancing style.
3. The dance moves
Everybody is dancing in the video. Pedestrians, shopkeepers, a barber and his customer, a young boy trying to set fire to a pile of sticks, a foreign tourist (probably the most vigorous dancer of all). The fire crew is almost always dancing, even when they are putting out fires.
4. Captain Raj’s love for his fans
While driving in the super-colourful fire truck the captain meets several fans. There is no time to stop the fire truck. They are, after all, on the way to fight a fire. A family of four (all of them squeezed together on a tiny scooter) drives along the fire truck hoping to get an autograph from their hero. The captain autographs a photo and passes it on to the young boy, and the boy is thrilled. Soon after this, the captain leans out of the moving bus and plants kisses on the heads of a row of fans standing by the side of the road.
5. Fire prevention
The alert crew notices a young boy who is about to set fire to a pile of sticks. With a well-positioned kick, the boy is sent flying back into his bedroom. He lands squarely into his chair, right in front of his study table. He is immediately reformed and starts studying. Of course, he is dancing through all of this.
6. Accident prevention
The car is on a collision course with the fire truck. One of the crew members notices this. He acts within a split second, using whatever equipment is nearby. That piece of equipment happens to be a toothpick. He pulls it out of the mouth of the driver and throws it in the path of the oncoming car. Defying all laws of physics, the car somersaults over the toothpick and flies into the air, sparing the fire truck. The driver of the car is deftly pulled out of the flying car just before it smashes into the ground.
7. The mega-fire
The scene of the mega-fire is beautifully created. The fire is massive and frightening. Yet, the crew is not scared. They use all sorts of unusual methods to stop the fire. No fire is too small. Captain Raj extinguishes a tiny flame on a plant by pinching it between his wet fingertips. Why were his fingertips wet? You will have to watch the video to see that.
8. The shock
One of the crew members uncovers a truth that is too dangerous to share with anyone else. His previous upbeat manner is replaced by a look of shock which contrasts with the jubilant behaviour of the rest of the crew who have just succeeded in extinguishing the massive fire and are returning to the city with the good news. The actor playing that role gives an extremely convincing performance.
The directors have done a great job and the video is full of similar amusing details. Watch it here.
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