MUMBAI: Music has the power to convey a message impactfully and Konark Sarangi knows it too well. Konark, who has taken formal classical music training from Padmashri Ramakant Gundecha, thought of paying an ode to the heroes and survivors of the deadly Super Cyclone in Odisha, that claimed lives of fifty thousand people. This is the back-story of Konark’s latest single, Huasla Na Ruthe. The music video was unveiled on 21 November 2018 at Estella, Mumbai in the presence of distinguished guests.

Hausla Na Ruthe is the next song in the video series- The Stories Untold – a music video project series that focuses on today’s social issues. The song features versatile singer-actor Ila Arun, who has reprised the role of the hero - Charu Maa, and her incredible courage and of the villagers. When the super cyclone hit Odisha on 29 October 1999, it left behind a ravaged state. Charu Maa, a resident of Gundalba village, was devastated to see the precious forests around their village completely destroyed. Not giving up, she pulled together a group of courageous women, who faced nature’s fury, but fought back to restore the entire forest. Her incredible journey has been portrayed by Ila Arun in the video.

“I belong to Jharkhand but have spent most of my life in Odisha. Therefore, I have a connect with the state. Unfortunately, the state has been facing many natural calamities every year-from extremes like droughts to floods. This cyclone that had hit the state in 1999 was devastating and I witnessed it,” added Konark.

Hausla Na Ruthe is the second outing of the combination of Konark Sarangi and  Sanjoy Dazz and Ambar Das (Music) and Snehasis Das (Concept and Direction), as a part of  The Stories Untold. Their last release, the immensely successful single, Ghar Jaana Hai, was released in 2017, paid a homage to the families affected by drought and migration, that won the team 23 Official Selections and six Awards across the world, including Miami Beach Film Festival, Richmond International Film Festival, Western New York Film, Art & Music Event, Accolade Global Film Competition, European Cinematography Awards and Los Angeles Film Awards.

“The first track was a conceptualised story of couple and their love-story was the backdrop of the song. Hausla Na Ruthe, however, is a real-life story,” he told.

Continuing Konark says, “This video has been conceived to bring focus on this incredible story, which has never reached the common people. Charu Maa is a change maker and hero who needs to be celebrated. We have tried our best to keep her unfettered spirit alive in the lyrics and composition. She never gave up, and her life is a testament to the power of human will. Ilaji has been amazing, and we were thrilled to have Charu Maa with us during the shoot. We hope the people will see and absorb the magnitude of her courage through our song, Hausla Na Ruthe.

The team has come together again for Hausla Na Ruthe, the next song in the video series, to bring the spotlight on the incredible courage of Charu Maa and the villagers. When the super cyclone hit Odisha on 29 October 29 1999, it left behind a ravaged state. Charu Maa, a resident of Gundalba village, was devastated to see the precious forests around their village completely destroyed. Not giving up, she pulled together a group of courageous women who faced nature’s fury and fought back to restore the entire forest.

“One of my friends is a documentary maker got us information about Charu Maa and we thought of making something around it,” added Konark.

To this Ila Arun also added, “It has been my complete honour to depict Charu Maa’s grit and will-power in the music video. She is everything that a strong woman stands for. Her story and the song, both really moved me. It’s an immense effort to restore an entire forest. It requires unending passion, back-breaking labour and an unwavering belief. I have always believed that when women decide to come together to fight something, there’s no stopping them. Charu Maa’s story reinstated my faith in the power of a woman’s conviction. I am sure her story will now reach millions, as it should.”

Signing off Konark said, “the next one is not planned yet. However, I don’t want to do something for the sake of it. There has to be value-ad and has to convey a certain message.”

The video is directed by Snehasis Das with lyrics by Pinky Poonawala, music by Sanjoy Dazz and Ambar Das while vocals are by Konark Sarangi. The video will be available on YouTube and Facebook and also on music platforms like iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Amazon Music.