When MTV hit the Asian airwaves in 1992 Indus Creed was the first Indian act to feature on it. Their first video to air on the channel was a low budget live video of the title track of their first album, 'Rock 'n' Roll Renegade'. No sooner did the video get put on rotation than they were nominated 'Asian Action of the Week' thanks to the massive response from their fans all over India.
For their next video the band, unsigned at the time, managed to rope in a sponsor and so afford to shoot it on 16mm film, a first for Indian music videos. 'Top of the Rock', also from their first album was put on heavy rotation and spent 5 weeks on MTV Asia's Top 20 Video Countdown. The straight ahead rock single proceeded to become the rock anthem for all rock fans in India. This was a turning point for the band as every video they released hereon starting with this was given 'Buzz Clip' status - MTV's much desired maximum rotation category.
Indus Creed's third video proved to be a landmark for the band. 'Pretty Child', the ballad from their second album 'The Second Coming', was the band's first ever song to have an Indian element in the form of that classic Indian percussion instrument - the Tabla - and was to mark the change in the band's song writing style. The band decided to change from being a straight ahead Americanised rock band to a more mature Indianised one by adding Indian instruments to their definitive rock style creating a more distinctive and interesting sound. Released in April 1993, the sensitive black and white video (directed by ace film makers Subir Chatterjee and Namita Roy Ghose) spent 6 weeks on MTV's Top 20 Countdown and in September of the same year went on to win MTV Asia's Video Music Award - Asian Viewer's Choice establishing them not only as India's favourites but Asia's as well. 'Pretty Child' was also ranked 9 on MTV's Top 100 videos of 1993 which featured the videos of top pop and rock acts from all over the world.
'Trapped', the first video of Indus Creed's third self-titled album released in 1995 entered the Asian Top 20 on Channel V (one of Asia's most popular music channels) and spent 6 weeks there. The haunting black and white video shot at an ancient Portuguese fort off the coast of western India received much critical acclaim and established the band as one that stressed artistic innovation as much as they could deliver a solid hook. 'Trapped' went on to be nominated by Channel V for the Billboard Viewer's Choice Award as well as MTV for its Asian Viewer's Choice Award.
The next video, 'Sleep' marked another milestone for the ever uncompromising band. It was shot on 35mm film, yet another first for music videos in India, making it one of the country's most expensive videos at the time. Like its predecessors 'Sleep' enjoyed a number of weeks on the Asian Top 20 charts.
In 1993 MTV Asia decided that it wanted to produce its first 'Rockumentary' The band they chose was Indus Creed. The first for a non-western act, the 30 minute feature titled "INDUS CREED - Past, Present and Future" traced the history of the band - how it was conceived, touring in India (some hilarious anecdotes here), how the band dealt with their hard earned success, and their future aspirations. No other Indian act has yet had a rockumentary made about them.
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Last updated on 14 June, 1997