Malappuram native Safiya Haris watched the hit Malayalam movie Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, with her two daughters, a few months ago. She loved its song 'Thani Lokah Murakkari' so much, that she played it on loop for quite a while. Little did Safiya know that a few months later, the track would go viral again, with her face featured on it! As she hits the campaign trail at Nottanalakkal in Malappuram’s Othukkungal Panchayat for the Muslim League, Safiya's campaign anthem is a cheeky parody of the viral song! The track — with lines like ‘Ward number 10 aane, Safiya Haris sthaanaarthi, vote oronnum konikku’ — cleverly bundles in everything from her constituency details to her symbol and promises. 

Election parody songs weren't a novelty during our Assembly or Lok Sabha polls. However, the witty numbers, aimed at imprinting everything about candidates on voters' minds, are becoming a thing even in this year's local elections. Unlike in the past, they are no longer limited to constituency boundaries, thanks to social media. From hit Malayalam movie tunes, rap songs and mappilapattu tracks to original compositions, election tracks are all set to be the season's hot picks. Artist Akshay of LehStudios, one of the producers of Safiya's songs, says, "We are getting inquiries from all 14 districts for customised election versions of Lokah songs for various candidates, alongside other songs. In four or five days, we have already done 50-plus election songs. Though candidates are yet to be confirmed for many seats, we have almost 150 songs more in the queue." 

A way to hook youngsters
Sharing election parodies of hit tracks on social media has a big aim for candidates - winning over young voters. Safiya says, "Thanks to the song, many youngsters now identify me when I visit homes on the election campaign. Its woman power essence makes it easier to communicate with voters, too." Aswin Gopinath, who runs the studio 'Media Faktory' in Kozhikode, observes that most candidates are on the lookout for fast-paced songs with a tinge of inspiration. "There are also those who look for a comedy vibe in their election music to attract youngsters. Mappilapattu songs, 'Sahasam' fame 'Polimoodu' song and Lokah songs are so far the top favourites this season. 

According to Akshay, Malappuram had a tradition of composing mappilappattu-style election songs for local polls in the past. "Now, movie tracks have also come into the fold. We too were into creating original election tracks, earlier and had produced rap songs like 'Shafi Parambil da Kulungilla' for the Lok Sabha elections. The song for Safiya Itha was our first parody attempt," says Akshay, who writes lyrics and arranges the songs with Sajeer Mohammed.  

Hate is also a byproduct
While the songs generate a lot of hype for candidates, there is no dearth of hate either, say makers and singers. Aswin Gopinath of Media Faktory says, "There are times when even the singers, who are just lending their voices to the songs, are also not spared from hate. People from opposite parties can often resort to berating comments." Singer Asma Kottakkal, who sang the 'Lokah' election song for Safiya, has been recording poll tracks without a break for the past two weeks. She says, "Most comments are positive. But some spew hate if they are against the party a song promotes."

How much do they cost?
Studios charge around Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 per song for election parodies. The cost varies depending on the 'package' candidates or parties want. Individual songs, songs with videos, songs for political parties, songs to promote election-related themes, and more are part of the packages, say studios. "The most requests are for songs tailored for candidates. They should be complete with their photos, campaign posters, poll symbols and other details," explains Akshay.