Manoj Bajpayee in the opening shot of the Bhojpuri rap song 'Bambai me ka ba' | YouTube screengrab
Manoj Bajpayee in the opening shot of the Bhojpuri rap song 'Bambai me ka ba' | YouTube screengrab
Text Size:

New Delhi: Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha and actor Manoj Bajpayee have got together to produce a hard-hitting Bhojpuri rap song titled ‘Bambai mein ka ba’, which has gone viral since its release on 9 September.

The title literally translates to ‘What is there in Mumbai?’, and the six-minute song highlights the plight of Bhojpuri-speaking people who have to migrate to big cities in search of livelihood. The lyrics have been penned by Dr Sagar, while the music composer is Anurag Saikia.

The song has been released at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown have put the lives and struggles of migrant workers from UP and Bihar in sharp focus.

For those who don’t understand Bhojpuri, the lyrics have been translated into English by journalist Sankarshan Thakur, and run on the screen with the song.

Insight into a migrant’s life

The lyrics to the song narrate life from the viewpoint of a migrant worker, who has left everything behind — including parents, wife and children — to go to the big city and eke out a living working a double shift as a security guard. The song speaks of the dwindling light of their lives, and asks in a constant refrain — what is there in Mumbai?

It goes on to dig further at why migration occurs in the first place — lack of basic amenities and infrastructure like hospitals, schools, roads, and above all, jobs.

At the beginning of the lockdown, migrant workers such as those described in the song walked thousands of kilometres back to their villages, enduring many hardships, because of the loss of livelihoods. But now, the same people are returning to cities to take up work again, which highlights the conditions they face in their home states, which led them to migrate in the first place.

Reception on social media

The song has been well received on social media by Bhojpuri speakers and others too.

Ministry of Culture Joint Secretary Nirupama Kotru appreciated the song on Twitter and wrote that she had learnt something new from it.

Radio Mirchi’s RJ Sayema called it “the best thing on Twitter”.

 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram

Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it

You are reading this because you value good, intelligent and objective journalism. We thank you for your time and your trust.

You also know that the news media is facing an unprecedented crisis. It is likely that you are also hearing of the brutal layoffs and pay-cuts hitting the industry. There are many reasons why the media’s economics is broken. But a big one is that good people are not yet paying enough for good journalism.

We have a newsroom filled with talented young reporters. We also have the country’s most robust editing and fact-checking team, finest news photographers and video professionals. We are building India’s most ambitious and energetic news platform. And have just turned three.

At ThePrint, we invest in quality journalists. We pay them fairly. As you may have noticed, we do not flinch from spending whatever it takes to make sure our reporters reach where the story is.

This comes with a sizable cost. For us to continue bringing quality journalism, we need readers like you to pay for it.

If you think we deserve your support, do join us in this endeavour to strengthen fair, free, courageous and questioning journalism. Please click on the link below. Your support will define ThePrint’s future.

Support Our Journalism