‘Ghumi Ghumi’: A triumphant love story of an autistic-coded character

The music video captures the serenity of the atmosphere of Nepali villages. The music and lyrics also manage to capture the charm of local and folk music, along with all of its quirks and distinct patterns.

Shrutika Raut

  • Read Time 2 min.

Kathmandu: It’s been about a week since the release of ‘Ghumi Ghumi: A Folk Journey’, and it has already captured the hearts of many, with its endearing main character who’s autistic coded. Not only is it beautifully shot with an anamorphic lens, but the unfolding of the story in a rustic countryside setting adds to the ambiance, tying the song and the video together perfectly.  

The music video, with almost two million views on YouTube in just two weeks, has been aesthetically crafted to celebrate the richness of Nepali folk music and folklife, which sums it up perfectly.

Sung by Sujan Chapagain and Shanti Shree Pariyar, composed by Sujan Chapagain, written by Hark Saud and starring Bipin Karki and Anjana Baraili,  the song is a collaborative effort on all fronts–with the music, lyrics, visuals and storyline very much in sync and complimenting each other. The references made to previous scenes (the scene with the oranges) and the visual representation of the motifs of the lyrics (the handful of corn representing a handful of love) is executed effortlessly and makes the music video feel like an actual movie.

The scenery of the music video is stunning and is an accurate representation of rural Nepal. It has captured the serenity of the atmosphere of Nepali villages. Not only that, the music and lyrics also manage to capture the charm of local and folk music, along with all of its quirks and distinct patterns.   

Bipin Karki’s character as Bhakta is well executed and does not feel like an overt caricature of someone with autism. Anjana Baraili does a great job opposite him. 

The story is about two characters–Bhakta and Saru–who meet towards the beginning of the video. Bhakta is implied to be autistic; with his behavior and mannerisms reflecting that of someone who has autism. He is shown to be an oddball who’s lovable as well as loyal and is infatuated with Saru, the main love interest. Bhakta’s actions of love are motivated not by some selfish desire to get the girl, but by his genuine care for her.

The progression of the story and all of its events and obstacles feel very well-paced. The scene where Bhakta is walking away from Saru, all the while beckoning her to follow him with his hands behind his back, perfectly sums up his endearing naivety. Bipin Karki’s character as Bhakta is well executed and does not feel like an overt caricature of someone with autism. And Anjana Baraili does a great job opposite him. The story leaves the viewers with a warm feeling, and hopefully, there are more projects like it that portray Nepali culture and life in such a realistic and aesthetically pleasing way.