The haunting rhythms of "Woh manuvaad se azaadi / woh punjivaad se azaadi" that rang out late one night from the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus after Kanhaiya Kumar's release on bail have found a new echo.

Malayalam singer Pushpavathy has composed – and now performs at concerts – a song based on the chant for azaadi. A popular playback singer in Malayalam movies, Pushpavathy ends her song with a clarion call for the Left: "Red salute".

Pushpavathy's fame is based on, among other songs, Chembavu from the film Salt 'n' Pepper.