Artmandu’s new music video “Baaf” portrays characters that are united by love but divided by nationalities

While Artmandu’s products are music videos, they can also be viewed as short films, with well-built characters, free-flowing narrative and affecting acting performances.

Prasun Sangroula

  • Read Time 2 min.

Kathmandu: Artmandu, the music video production company, is back with another unique music video for the song ‘Baaf’. Prior to this, the production company has put out such hit music videos as K Maya Lagcha Ra, and Teenpatey, among others. Their folkish songs combined with creative storytelling have stuck with millions of audiences.

While Artmandu’s products are music videos, they can also be viewed as short films, with well-built characters, free-flowing narrative and affecting acting performances.

The new music video for Baaf, directed by Nabin Chauhan, tells the story of a girl who has left her hometown of Darjeeling, the scenic mountain city in India, along with her family. They have entered Nepal to open a lodge. As the plot thickens, our protagonist, the girl barely out of childhood, finds a special attachment with a Nepali boy who is similar to her age. They are brought up together in the same place and surroundings. And once they grow up they realize that they are in love.

The almost 12 minutes-long music video revolves around their childhood, relationship and its tragic end, wherein the couple have a dispute choosing their destiny, whether Nepal or India, and they break up. The music video can be related by many those who were compelled to leave their loved ones for belonging to different nationalities. 

According to the producers, “Baaf takes us to a mystical journey of the cross-border scenario through the beautiful portrayal of love, life, and emotions at scenic villages of Jaubari, Ilam Nepal, and Tumling, West Bengal, India.

The husky voice of singer Sujan Chapagain and soft vocals of Bidhya Tiwari is accompanied beautifully by its musical arrangements. The melodies of Cello, bamboo flute, Violin & Soprano Sax, and other instruments work together to give the song its vibrancy.

“Pratap and Silpa, the core of this story, share various moments of laughter and playfulness from their childhood in the ground zero settings of the Nepal-India border. As they grow young, they feel their liking for each other and they continue to unfold various sequences in their life while following their aspirations.”   

The husky voice of singer Sujan Chapagain and soft vocals of Bidhya Tiwari is accompanied beautifully by its musical arrangements. The melodies of Cello, bamboo flute, Violin & Soprano Sax, and other instruments work together to give the song its compelling vibrancy.

Normally, Nepali songs are limited to the use of basic musical instruments such as drums, guitar and keyboard, but “Baaf” brings a diverse set of instruments and completely nails it. This song, arranged by Ganga Thapa, should push other arrangers to experiment as well.

The video’s mesmerizing visuals are complemented well by its imagistic lyrics. They evoke the feel of being in love for the first time. As a snippet of the lyrics goes, “K bho Khai/ Khai k bho?/ Chaina ma, ma je ho/ Fusai udey ma / Baaf Bhai/ Rahina ma Aafumai [Something unknown has happened to me/ Albeit, what’s this is all about/ I’m not what I used to be/ I have flown gently/ Like vapor/ And these flights are taking me beyond myself].”

“Baaf” is a representation of thousands of incipient romances cut short by the demands of a career and the pressure to make a living. In the verdant hills of Nepal and India, such incidents are dime a dozen, romances that grow, mature and eventually fly away, like wisps of vapor. “Baaf” is a perfect encapsulation of that.