It is not everyday that a director shoots a different version of a song from a film he made 24 years ago. But, then, these are no normal days.

When Jayaraj decided to film a tribute to the frontline coronavirus warriors, he felt the song Kaliveedurangiyallo... from the his 1996 film Desadanam would be ideal. That song, which spoke about the emptiness of a home after a young boy is inducted into a monastery, had become hugely popular and won K.J. Yesudas a State Award.

Desadanam had also won Jayaraj the State Award for direction. The sensitively-made film had a splendid script by Madambu Kunhukuttan and exceptional camera work by M.J. Radhakrishnan.

It had become an unexpected hit at the box office as well. “The music, by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, had definitely helped in the success of Desadanam,” says Jayaraj. “Kaliveedurangiyallo... could sum up the emotions of the film. I felt it would also convey the emotions of all those health workers who are forced to stay away from home and those who have lost their dear ones to COVID-19.”

The new version of the song is sung by Akhila Anand, the singer who had debuted in Jayaraj's Aswaroodan. It has been released on YouTube.

“It is one of my favourite songs and I used to listen to it several times when it was released two decades ago,” she says. “So when Jayaraj asked me to sing it for his video, I was delighted.”

She has also acted in the video, which is shot in black-and-white. The video also contains real visuals depicting the fight of the health workers against the virus.

“The song was shot at my home in Thiruvananathapuram on a rainy day,” says Akhila. “The response has been excellent; the other day a friend of mine told me that he hasn't seen his wife, a health worker, for the last three months.”