Keneesha Francis's Higher, the first single from Ravi Mohan's directorial debut An Ordinary Man, is finally out. The song arrives months after Keneesha and Ravi Mohan addressed their separation, making her association with the film an interesting talking point.
The track was released on September 10, which is also Ravi Mohan's 46th birthday. Higher has been composed by Keneesha, who has also directed and edited the song's video. Ravi Mohan and Yung Raja have written the lyrics, while Ranjith has lent his voice to the track.
In the video, the actors revealed that they had wrapped up the shoot for a promo song for An Ordinary Man. The entire sequence takes place inside the protagonist's mind.
Keneesha's involvement in the film was announced a few days ago, when she was revealed as the music director of An Ordinary Man. The announcement caught attention because it came months after she and Ravi Mohan had publicly spoken about their split.
Keneeshaa Announces Breakup
Back in May, Keneeshaa shared a lengthy statement on Instagram, revealing that she had decided to walk away from the public scrutiny surrounding her personal life.
"Dear all, I have said more than I should and could and most of it was unnecessary as well. I walked into this story with love. I walk out of it with silence. Some places become so consumed by noise, ego, judgment and manufactured narratives that goodness no longer has room to breathe there. And when that happens, even love begins to feel unwelcome. I have given pieces of myself trying to protect a human being the world had already decided a story for. But I now understand something very clearly - in a world addicted to spectacle, kindness rarely stands a chance against chaos," she wrote.
In another part of the statement, she said, "To the public, the cinema industry, the commentators, the people who love him, dislike him, defend him, mock him, or claim ownership over his life - he is now all yours. There will be no more explanations. No more defending. No more fighting battles that were never mine to carry in the first place. I was stupid to think that good people needed a chance to live and support in that realm is the best one can do. But I understand, that this place is only for liars, cheaters, manipulators and life extorters. And so, I release him with peace, with love, and with complete detachment. I release all my responsibilities that were signed up for as well."
Keneeshaa also expressed disappointment over the way people perceive kindness and vulnerability today.
"I only wish the world had allowed me to show what genuine love, loyalty and softness could have done. But perhaps this generation no longer trusts softness. Perhaps destruction is easier to digest than devotion. Perhaps people will always choose narratives built from emotion over truths built from sacrifice. But, there you go. You guys got what you wanted. So today, I stop resisting it. I stop trying to prove goodness in rooms committed to misunderstanding it. I've left Chennai, I give up. I give up on my music, my therapy and all that concerned me for the life I lived this far. Man can break what God creates I guess," she added.
Towards the end of her post, Keneeshaa said she was quitting social media because of "online bullying, manipulation and sorcery."
"Online bullying, manipulation and sorcery is what I leave because of. And with that, I am logging off Instagram and all social profiles as well until God wins. I ask all my friends, family and well wishers to give me the privacy I need. As of today: Feminism, you won. Happiness, you lost. Love and Light. Keneeshaa Francis."
'Ravi Mohan Is Not A Child'
Her statement came shortly after she uploaded and later deleted two videos addressing the allegations and rumours surrounding her relationship with Ravi Mohan.
In the videos, Keneeshaa denied claims that she had broken a family and clarified that Ravi initially approached her for emotional support.
"I disconnected from my assignment in therapy and became a friend. Ravi Mohan is not a child. He knows whom to talk to and how to live his life," she said.
Keneeshaa also alleged that she had been subjected to severe online harassment. "People are sending detectives to Bengaluru to find out who I was married to, what I went through and who I was," she claimed.
She further spoke about her personal struggles and difficult experiences growing up. "I got married when I was around 18 or 19. At that age, I did not understand life properly. The baby in my stomach was broken and got out of my body. A girl who has lost a child in her stomach - you think I'm going to keep anybody away from their children or family?"
Recalling the early phase of her music journey, she said, "That singing in a bar for ₹ 500 has made me charge so much more today. If you really want to get at me, come to my face. Don't do this online. My calling is not cinema. My calling is not celebrity status. Please don't make me feel like I need to give up on life."
Keneeshaa And Ravi Mohan's Relationship
Keneeshaa became a topic of discussion after Ravi Mohan publicly announced his separation from his wife.
The controversy grew further after his estranged wife claimed she had not been informed about the separation beforehand, while Ravi later accused her of mentally torturing him.
Amid the ongoing controversy, Ravi was frequently seen with Keneeshaa, who reportedly worked with him as a counsellor and is also a musician.
ALSO READ: Ravi Mohan Breaks Down After Split From Keneeshaa, Announces Break From Acting: 'I Slit My Wrists'
