In Nepal’s burgeoning music video scene, videos that capture the realities that we face every day and tug at the deepest of our emotions, have proved successful—both as an authentic testament to reality and as lasting pieces of art. Like the works that precede it—such as Hawaijahaaj by Sajjan Raj Baidhya and Trishna Gurung’s Khani ho Yahmu—Hemanta Rana’s soulful new music video, Saili, evokes the plights of a generation that rests its shoulders on hope, sacrificing their present in hopes of a better tomorrow. 

After all, who among us with a heart to feel wants to be away from the ones we love? Given, the true aim of life, if there is one, is to love and to be loved. But then, what price does one have to pay to bring love upon one they love? What compromises need to be made in the present, in hopes of a better future? 

Saili prompts such questions. These are questions—ironic and tragic at once—that loom large over a large number of Nepali youths today. 

The song lets its tragically ironic tone be known from the very beginning. “Suna saili saili, pardesh bata ma aaula, suna saili saili, chaalis katepachhi ramaula...,” go the opening verses of the song. The narrator, the Saila, is leaving home to work as a migrant labourer abroad and he tenderly muses of the future—for he knows his hopes rest there and he warmly consoles his beloved, as if saying, “Hey, don’t worry, better days are in front of us,” even though he is not quite sure himself. It evokes the very fundamental belief that makes life bearable—that hope springs eternal. Isn’t it with this hope that we compromise our present realities, that hundreds of us are forced to leave our beloved with? 

Art reflects reality; and foreign employment and the physical and psychological impact it has on the migrant, as well as the emotional impact it has on the family, loved ones and the society at large, naturally features heavily in the various artforms being created in Nepal today; and Saili is the latest of the lot preceding it. Hit Man Gurung’s exhibition of poignant artworks that was on view at Siddhartha Art Gallery last year and journalist Janak Raj Sapkota’s excellent book Kahar, delve into similar motifs: the plights of migrant Nepali workers. Chhakka Panja, which is also based on a similar theme, became Nepal’s highest ever grossing movie last year. While these works focus more on the larger socio-economic context of today’s Nepal, Saili is deeply personal and explores the emotional toll migration takes of a couple.

There is a video accompanying Saili which has been uploaded on Youtube, which, within just a couple of weeks of its upload, has already garnered over 5,170,000 views and it’s easy to see the making of that extraordinary exploit. 

The video in itself is simple, without overt symbolisms or metaphors, and it’s this very simplicity that is the video’s biggest merit, as it is so relatable to hundreds of thousands of Nepalis who have had to bid adieu to a loved one. In tracing the story of two lovers, the song not only portrays the physical space, that is village life, but also the emotional space so fraught with turmoil. It, then, is of little surprise that the song has struck a chord among the audience and that it is currently dominating the airwaves and web platforms. 

The video tells a story in itself, and were it divorced from the music, it would be able to carry itself on its own, which speaks volumes. Both the songs and the video are independent entities, but when brought together they catalyse each other, multiplying the impact by many folds. 

The only drawback is perhaps the moments where the characters sob inconsolably at the end; it could have been toned down a little, because even as they are heartfelt, it might rub off as unrealistic to some viewers. Tears, some would argue, are more often than not silent and stoic. Had it ended on that note, would the narrative have been more poignant, one is left to wonder.

All in all, Saili now joins a growing line of creative endeavours that tug at a larger phase that the society is going through that has struck a chord with the masses. It is also worth noting that the simplistic approach taken by the video makers goes to show that not all videos need to be artistic masterpieces—laden with layered symbolisms and contrived CGIs—for it to be powerful. When talking about emotions and matters of the heart, simplicity goes the distance, which, when  coupled with Hemanta Rana’s gorgeous vocals makes Saili a tragically beautiful piece of work.