Extremely humbled by the positive reaction, I’m very proud of our diversity: Shraddha Jian

When Doordarshan first aired Mile Sur Mera Tumhara in 1988, it wasn’t just a song; it was an anthem of unity in many voices and languages. 37 years later, comedian Aiyyo Shraddha has brought it back into conversation with her viral stand-up act.
Shraddha wrote the set in less than 24 hours before performing. Speaking to us about the kind of response she received, she says, “I am very surprised and humbled by the reaction. I didn’t expect it to stir so many emotions, and all of them so positive. People went back to watch Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, sending me countless messages comparing my set to the original. I even got photos of people watching it on TV, recordings from trains and buses, and everyone was sharing it. The fact that it has been received so warmly shows that we all just want to get along. It’s so heartening.” Excerpts from a chat:
‘VERY SURPRISED, EXTREMELY HUMBLED BY THE POSITIVE REACTION’
What made it more special was that the makers of the original song reached out. Mr Piyush Pandey (the lyricist) called me, and Mr Kailash Surendranath, who directed the video, messaged me saying, ‘Brilliant job, keep it up.’ Their encouragement and generosity were incredible. Mr Pandey was even giggling when he spoke to me, saying he loved my thought process. For this to happen on my debut as a stand-up comedian on YouTube – it’s just superb. The love it received was overwhelming.
‘WROTE THE SKETCH LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE PERFORMING IT’
The tour was coming to an end and Independence Day was just around the corner, so the day I performed at Shanmukhananda in Mumbai, that’s the day I wrote it. I had written it less than 24 hours before performing it. I only planned to do it there, but because the response was so good, I performed it in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru too. I’m very proud of our diversity – I see it as a superpower, not a problem.
‘POSITIVE RESPONSE OUTWEIGHED NEGATIVE COMMENTS’
There were a few negative comments here and there, but the proportion of positive responses was so huge that the criticism felt negligible. If someone had raised a solid point, I would have reflected on it. But there were no strong arguments made. So I don’t think there was any real polarisation. Had the negative comments been intelligent and well-researched, I might have felt silly, like, ‘Oh my God, did I just speak off the cuff?’ But nothing like that happened. I spoke from my heart, and it has truly resonated.
‘DON’T BE A REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE’
I always check my intention. If my goal is to make someone feel small, wrong, or berated, there’s a high chance I’ll go wrong. But if it comes from love and the desire to bring people together, it keeps me grounded. Don’t misinform and don’t say what you don’t mean. Pay attention to tonality and body language. The key is intention – your heart has to be in the right place. If you come from love and communicate it respectfully, people will listen. We are all reasonable human beings. Don’t be a rebel without a cause.