Thane, Aug 14 (UNI) Smashing all records for national anthems since it went live on July 29 on Youtube, the #71for71challenge set by Shayan Italia for 71 million views of his piano rendition of the Jana Gana Mana celebrating India’s 71 years of Independence has received an overwhelming response.

Despite the absence of corporate sponsors, political support for celebrity endorsements, the video has become the all-new trending rage on social and even traditional new media.

It became top-trended on Twitter for two days consecutively as India chose it over politics, Bollywood and cricket. The rapid acceleration of its YouTube views has been tracked by the mainstream news media.

On 14th August, the video crossed 71 million views on YouTube as patriotic Indians across the country embraced the #71for71 challenge.

The creators of the video, pianist Shayan Italia and director Farhad Vijay Arora, set up the challenge to unite India as one for Independence Day.

On the first day of the upload, we received more than 5 million views and quickly realised that we now had a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to connect all of India with its most emotional chord 'the Jana Gana Mana,' said Shayan Italia.

We decided that our heartfelt rendition of Rabindranth Nath Tagore’s divine ode should get 71 million views by 15th August to celebrate each year of India’s 71 years of Independence.

This is the first time that any video from India has been shot entirely in 8K Ultra HD in VFX, said Farhad Vijay Arora. India has shown that it has both the emotion and aspiration for bleeding edge media production.

More UNI XR NV AW YK SHK1547