Celebrating #Cysterhood: Vitamin Stree & Savage launch Kraantinaari’s new PCOS rap anthem in a music video

One in five Indian women suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and deal with all kinds of symptoms like irregular menstruation, hormonal fluctuations, hair and skin issues, anxiety and depression. Managing PCOS can make one feel isolated, and that is why emerging hip-hop artist and activist, Kraantinari, came up with a rap song about living with PCOS. The catchy rap song has been launched in a music video by Vitamin Stree and Savage, a health and wellness company. The video features Indian women who have PCOS, and is an anthem for the ups and downs of this hormonal roller coaster, and a celebration of the solidarity the PCOS community shares.

Link to the video: https://youtu.be/5tEFEJU5_m

Shibika Suresh, Creative Producer at Vitamin Stree, hopes that the video represents the challenges and experiences of the PCOS community. She says, “This collaboration has given us the opportunity to co-create what we hope goes on to become an anthem that brings together #cysters from different walks of life, across genders & ages. Our collective goal was to have this piece of art represent their challenges & experiences, and we really hope people resonate with this.”

PCOS involves more than just an annual gynaecologist visit - and Ekta Tibrewal, Founder, Savage, firmly believes that it needs a holistic, judgement-free, evidence-based lifestyle solution. She adds,  “PCOS is a complex condition that requires a different type of care than a hop-on-hop-off ride of birth control pills. We hope people diagnosed with PCOS feel that their frustrations are heard, through this music video.
PCOS treatment also brings lifestyle changes that are difficult to adjust to. Ashwini Hiremath, a.k.a. Kraantinaari  says, “I thought I would write this song to celebrate people with PCOS, and the complicated feelings we have towards our bodies. Vitamin Stree’s content on PCOS has always given me comfort when it felt hard, and they handled the music video with the sensitivity, and sense of fun that the PCOS community deserves. No matter where you are in your PCOS journey - we’re all in it together, and we'll get through it with each other's validation and support.”

Kalyani Kulkarni, the director of this music video, talks about her experience on set and says, “Through this project, I got to meet many strong, talented young women. I really connect with Vitamin Stree’s feminist values and vision, and I had a lot of creative freedom to make this music video. We tried to have some powerful visuals of what having PCOS is like - but also wanted to drive home the fact that the burden is lighter with a community.”

The video serves as a reminder - that despite inadequate healthcare, insensitive comments, and the sometimes harsh ways in which we look at ourselves in the mirror - PCOS is less isolating when we talk about it, laugh about it, and of course, sing about it

SONG CREDITS

Vocals: Ashwini Hiremath aka Krantinaari

Hook Vocals: Pratika Prabhune aka MC PEP

Producer: Abhishek Menon aka Naarcist and Anushka Manchanda aka Nuka

Mix & Master: Shikar Manchanda aka Rakis

Project Guide: Aklesh Sutar aka MC Mawali (Swadesi)

VIDEO CREDITS

Director: Kalyani Kulkarni

DOP: Ashwin Pakhrot

Executive Producer: Ankita Panchal

Creative Producer: Shibika Suresh

Executive Producer (Vitamin Stree): Mohit Bhasin

Editorial - Vitamin Stree: Maanvi and Nayanika Nambiar

Line Producer: Lavindra Gaikwad

Assistant Art Director: Jitendra Sahu

Assistant Producers: Sonali Bisht and Kate Cardoz

Camera Operator: Himanshu Gaur

Focus Puller: Shobhnath Nandlal Yadav

Onset Sound Recordist: Pramod Sawant

Hair & Makeup: Deep Narayan Shah and Sapna Jaiswal

Head Spot: Sunil Mishra

Offline Edit: M Shrinivas Rao

Graphic Design: Esha Agarwal and Abha Dasgupta

Animation Studio: Lucia Entertainment

Grading Artist: Prathavish Hegde

Sound Mix: Chinmay Agharkar

Legal - Vitamin Stree: Shria Tikoo and Shubhangi Dwivedi

Business Development - Vitamin Stree: Nidhi Mathur

Camera Equipment: SA Vision

Light Equipment: Lighthouse Film Service

Location Courtesy: Gallant Sports, Andheri West

Cast: Ashwini Hiremath aka Krantinaari, Mahima Noelle Moses, Pratika Prabhune, Preeti Sutar, Tamanna Jaisinghani