‘Ghar Jaana Hai’ musically brought alive the plight of drought affected migrant families

It’s not often that Mumbai, the Maximum City, pauses for anything. But on Thursday, May 25, it did. On the shores of the Arabian Sea at the picturesque Sun n Sand Hotel in Juhu, unfolded a beautiful musical phenomenon. ‘Ghar Jaana Hai’, sung by California-based vocalist, took the musical route to relay an important message. And Mumbai paused to listen.

In the past decade, the effects of climate change have been here for all to see. From unseasonal showers to never-before sweltering summers, we have all experienced it. But for some large portions of India, climate change has dramatically changed their lives. Maharashtra, Orissa and Rajasthan are the worst-hit, with entire villages being forced to abandon their homes for search of work due to water scarcity and drought. Sarangi’s song, Ghar Jaana Hai, brings alive the plight of this huge migrant population whose voices are drowned in the cacophony of our daily noise.

The event was attended by several known faces from the world of music, and sports such as Ila Arun, Sanjay Manjrekar, K.K. Raina, Raj Zutshi. The video is conceptualised by Orissa-based filmmaker Snehasis Das, who shot it in Kantabanji, one of the worst-affected drought areas of India. It features veteran film actor Raj Zutshi and Oriya actress Gargi Mohanty. The stirring lyrics have been penned by Svati Chakraborty, the lyricist and co-director of the famed show Satyamev Jayate. The soulful composition is by music directors Sanjoy Dazz and Ambar Das, who have scored melodies for ace film directors such as Rituparno Ghosh.

Mr. Konark Sarangi said, “As a trained Indian Classical vocalist living in California, Ghar Jaana Hai is a homecoming for me in many ways. The plight of people back home affected by this issue of Drough and Migration needs world’s attention. And we knew that reaching out to them musically is definitely one of the most effective ways. The words and melody reflect the pathos of the situation and how human emotions are supressed by the evil powers of the calamity. The song compels us to take notice and action. We hope we are able to reach out to millions of people around the globe, through this engaging video and help find a solution to this massive problem, together.”

Says Snehasis Das, “Drought has been a reality in the world for a while now. Unfortuantely, most of the civilised world has turned a blind eye to it. Thousands of families have been forced to abandon their homes to look for an uncertain life elsewhere. The only way for us, the rest of the world, to deal with it is through love, compassion and empathy. The video takes us to one of the worst-hit areas of India in Kantabanji. You can feel how the place has been affected. How people are affected. The stirring song is created to put the spotlight on an issue that should matter to all of us. I really hope people read up on the situation and feel inspired to contribute towards a calamity that is staring at us in the face.”

The video was played to the gathering, where it received a thunderous response. Over refreshments soon after, everyone was seen discussing the drought situation and what we can do as a society to help people affected by this calamity. If well begun is half done, Ghar Jaana Hai seems to have hit home and set the ball rolling.