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Watch Sonam Kapoor and Beyonce team up for this Coldplay video set in India

Watch Sonam Kapoor and Beyonce team up for this Coldplay video set in India

It's beautifully shot, but does the video serve up a cliched version of Indian-ness?
Updated 30 Jan, 2016

This week we discovered exactly what Coldplay had been up to during the band's recent visit to India -- the musicians were shooting a music video featuring none other than Beyonce and Sonam Kapoor!

That very same video for song 'Hymn for the weekend' is out now, and it looks luscious.

Taking its cue from everyday life in India the video take us through alleyways and up on rooftops, with both Beyonce and Sonam (and Chris Martin too!) in some pretty spectacular outfits. Also making an appearance is a vividly decorated taxi — the very same taxi that featured in last year's project Taxi Fabric.

A little bit from Pakistan: This taxi's upholstery and interior has been designed by Pakistani artist Samya Arif!
A little bit from Pakistan: This taxi's upholstery and interior has been designed by Pakistani artist Samya Arif!

'Rang' -- a tradition often used in pop culture to India-fy a setting -- features prominently in the video, with Martin goofing around with Indian children who play with the coloured powder.

As for Beyonce, she's decked out in a matha patti and a headdress and she's wearing an Abujani Sandeep Khosla outfit.

Sonam's bit - blink and you'll miss it!
Sonam's bit - blink and you'll miss it!

Sonam unfortunately only features for a hot second or two, and after all that hype we're disappointed.

While the video is a visual delight we can't help wondering if it wouldn't have been cooler if it hasn't pandered to a foreign audience's conception of what India may be -- a smokey, mystical place populated with yogis and gurus and temples, you know?

Ah well, even Coldplay can't get it right every time.

Comments

SK Jan 30, 2016 10:56am
No other country is as colourful as India!
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Indian Jan 30, 2016 10:58am
Dont like the song much.but video was beautiful..
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Ahmed Jan 30, 2016 11:34am
cultural appropriation to its height.
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Arun Jan 30, 2016 11:36am
The bit where one sadhu is holding another in the palm of his hand caught my eye. Everyone knows by now how it's done so why do these people try to fool people into thinking they have some sort of supernatural powers?
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Nobody Jan 30, 2016 12:11pm
Hey ! Where is Sonam Kapoor? Very low for a gal like Sonam.....
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Maratha Jan 30, 2016 01:00pm
My country is colorful...It is just not one country but more than 30 countries combined together with idea of togetherness which obviously you see in languages and colors.
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Zero Jan 30, 2016 01:28pm
I guess you have not been to India. Please visit and tell me which scene in the video you didn't encounter in real life.
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jyotsana Jan 30, 2016 02:15pm
very true dawn,
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Salim Khan Jan 30, 2016 03:04pm
The video is good. Song is great.
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James_Blonde Jan 30, 2016 03:30pm
Sonam must have spent 5 hours get ready for a 2 second appearance. Beautiful song and the video btw. One of the best this year thus far
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mohan Jan 30, 2016 04:17pm
I dnt agree with the review...the video correctly depicts indianess.. why would any body especially a foreigner show something (modern india) which they have at their home..of course they will show something which distinguishes india from the rest of the world.. and yes its our culture (music, festival, colors, diversity) which defines us
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Surya Kant Jan 30, 2016 04:29pm
What a kaleidoscope... riots of color... amazing... beautiful photography. What a country....offering so diverse views. Outstanding... One has to be born here to know it. To be able to choose from any path to the Truth that may suit one self In end it brings surrender to Supreme...
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jay Jan 30, 2016 04:29pm
no country as full of life as India... Indian will one day soon show the world the true meaning of life.
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Apoorv Swarup Jan 30, 2016 05:37pm
This was shot in Bombay. Over 60% of Bombay lives in slums in unfathomable conditions!! the stark inequity that exists is downright apalling. It would be an insanely depressing video if they even tried to do an 'accurate representation' of people in Bombay and they neither call it that and nor have a duty to do so. It is a music video, which has artistic elements (the prerogative of the representation lies solely with the artist)
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Feedback Jan 30, 2016 05:41pm
Like Seriously.. just a 2 second appearance in a 4 minute video.. :p they could have taken anyone for that :p song and video both are however good. I hope shiv sena do not create a controversy on this song
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Farooq Jawed Jan 30, 2016 06:12pm
This video portrays India as it is popularly understood by the West. A mystical place with very rich History of culture and is relatively safe to visit. And when the audience will watch this they will not be disappointed. Bravo.
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sudhir Jan 30, 2016 07:52pm
One of the better Coldplay numbers and videos as well.
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david john Jan 30, 2016 07:54pm
@sk u r absolutely right.Its great counry.
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nj01 Jan 31, 2016 10:40am
Beautiful album! I enjoyed , it shows richness, modernity and ancient cultures of India in a well balanced approach!!
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J.Dot Jan 31, 2016 11:07pm
Every country and every culture has beauty in it. One becomes ESPECIALLY enticed when it seems to be a total opposite of what you are used to on daily basis. For us Easterners, West is enticing and for Westerners (some - hippie types mostly - no pun intended) have love affair with Eastern cultures.
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Khan Feb 02, 2016 04:46am
They will play this song at SuperBowl. Awesome song and awesome India
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Sunny Feb 04, 2016 05:49am
Pakistan is a cultural rich country.
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