Mumbai, (Asian independent) Bollywood actors stars Radhika Apte, Vikrant Massey, Aparshakti Khurana and Fatima Sana Shaikh have come together to encourage people to be productive during lockdown through “#AageKiSoch, which also has playback star Jonita Gandhi rapping for the first time.
The music video aims at encouraging the youth to spend this time at home productively and engage in activities that will upskill their existing knowledge base and prepare them for the new world post the COVID-19.
Written and composed by reality show “Dil Hai Hindustani 2” winner Akshay Dhawan and Shashwat Singh, the music video also includes Naveen Polishetty, Anto Philip, Shantanu Maheshwari, Rohit Raj, Karan Tacker, Abish Mathew, Akansha Ranjan, Elnaaz Norouzi, Naser and Vineeth.
Talking about her experience, Radhika said: “These are trying times for all of us, going through a global pandemic. The initiative #AageKiSoch is a great solution to utilise this time in the best possible manner and it encourages people to work on their skills. I can now finally focus on learning something new which I have wanted to for a while. It’s a fantastic forward looking idea, so once the lockdown is over you’re all set to take on the world. I’m glad that I could be a part of spreading this message.”
To this, Vikrant added: “This global pandemic has broken the monotony of our lifestyle. The initiative – #AageKiSoch, encourages people to make the most of this time. It can be anything, pursuing a long due hobby or developing and mastering a new skill, something to keep your morale up during these tough times. This exercise will not only help reduce the panic but by the end of it people will emerge as a new and fresh version of themselves. I feel privileged to be a part of this initiative.”
Fatima said that the “most challenging part during this time is staying indoors and keeping our morale up”.
“I believe it is essential we utilise this time to bring out the best in ourselves. It’s been a wonderful experience to be in this amazing campaign with so many talented artists and their infectious energy translated into the video as well,” she added.
The number is created by Edtech major upGrad and Big Bang Music, and the the video is conceptualised by Big Bang Music and KWAN along with the higher education company upGrad. The three video renditions for the same song have been conceptualised, written, shot and edited in all of 72 hours, being directed remotely on video calls.
“With this upskill anthem, we want to encourage people to stay home and use the time meaningfully to enhance their skill set which otherwise would have parked in their to-do list. Preparedness for the coming economical storm is essential so that the youth and the working professionals can smoothly bounce back to their careers or make a new transition once we resume to our regular lives,” said Mayank Kumar, Co-Founder and MD, upGrad.
