New York-based singer-songwriter Manas Jha’s new music video Shades speaks about the often ignored and under-reported topic of anxiety disorders in children. With classrooms closed under lockdowns, unequal access to technology, and a general disruption of routine, the pandemic is leading to increased anxiety and PTSD among young people who might not be able to communicate what they’re going through, at least not in a way adults seem to understand. Closer to home, the board results just came out.

While this is usually an unsettling time for students who live in a country that places unrealistic expectations on academic performance, graduating into a pandemic and a recession has only made the mental health of many even more fragile.. At such a bizarre and stressful time, Shades carries a poignant and heartfelt message which needs to be heard across the board.

Shades opens up a discussion about children’s anxious behaviours, something for which Jha borrows from his own experiences for. The music video produced by Ekabhuya Animation Studio (that has made videos for Swadesi, The Local Train, and Nucleya, among others) rolls out incidents from Jha’s school days of dealing with anxiety — praying fervently for his name to not be called out for public speaking, avoiding friends on the football field, engaging in substances when he was too young to understand what they were doing to him. Ekabhuya brings to life these incidents in their unique animation aesthetic.

The music video aims at raising awareness and encouraging the ones struggling to call out for help from family, friends or professionals. A strong source of support, guidance and inspiration for this comes from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America , which Manas extensively supports and works with.

Click on the link below to watch the video:

https://youtu.be/qzz6sgGjHbg