Zomato has teamed up with regional rap artist Paal Dabba to launch ‘Veppam is our Weapon’, a Chennai anthem celebrating the city’s distinctive culture, energy and relationship with heat.
The music video draws from Chennai’s scorching summers, fiery food and everyday resilience, weaving local language, references and imagery into a track rooted in the city’s streets.
“The inspiration for the anthem came straight off Chennai's streets. I wanted the track to carry that same heat and rhythm, so a lot of the references and even the slang are things I've grown up hearing. It's less a song I wrote and more a song this city already had in it, I just put it down on paper," said Paal Dabba.
Sahibjeet Singh Sawhney, Marketing head, Zomato, said, "Heat is something every other city runs from, but Chennai runs on. Wherever, however, or whenever it shows up - in the weather, in its passions, or in its spices, Chennai embraces it. This year, we are collaborating with Paal Dabba to celebrate the unique relationship the city enjoys with heat. Chennai doesn't just endure heat; it thrives on it - and this track is a celebration of that."
The anthem was developed closely with Paal Dabba to ensure its writing and visual treatment reflected an authentic reading of Chennai rather than an outsider’s interpretation.
