00:00But let's not fool ourselves. Pollution is not a laughing stock. It's a life-altering crisis.
00:06For Gen Z, for millennials, this isn't politics. This is personal.
00:10It's their lungs. It's their childhood outdoors.
00:13Their morning run, their commute, their future, their game, their communication, their socials all put together.
00:20And then a generation that has grown up online starts turning creatively into a protest
00:25when memes become messaging, when reels become resistance, it tells you something, doesn't it?
00:32It tells you they are done waiting for governments to fix it.
00:35It tells you they are taking control of the narrative.
00:38And it tells us very clearly that the cost of inaction is no longer invisible.
00:44So today on the programme, we meet these young Indians.
00:48The one who are remixing rage into art.
00:52Remixing humour into activism.
00:54And pollution into a protest movement you cannot ignore.
01:00So let's begin. Let me introduce our guests first up.
01:03Joining me on the programme today is Saloni Gaur, comedian and content creator.
01:08Hi there.
01:09Hi there, Saloni. Thanks so much for being here.
01:11Also with us in the studio is Nish Chai Verma, content creator.
01:14You just saw his piece on our screens as well.
01:18And also with us today is Nirbhai Garg here already with his guitar.
01:23And Vasu Sharma, who is in Mumbai as we speak.
01:27And like, because this is a problem which is not just about Delhi.
01:31So it's really lovely that we've got this band of boys which are both in Delhi and Mumbai.
01:37And we'll go across to them as well.
01:38But let me first go to Saloni.
01:41Saloni, every time one looks at a meme or a satire or a piece which stings politically
01:50or which perhaps stings you in a way where you don't know whether you should laugh or cry.
01:55I wonder if, what is the reaction that you want your audience to take away from it?
02:02Because many will say, it's made a mess of pollution.
02:06No, the one thing that most of the people in my comment section were saying,
02:11why didn't you say it before?
02:12But I'll tell you that my career started with a video of pollution.
02:18The only video which went viral for the first time was about pollution.
02:22And that was what I did before too.
02:23It's not about that you're talking about when you're talking about it.
02:26The important thing is that you're talking about now.
02:29Now everyone is buying air purifiers.
02:33Everyone is sick or sick or sick of the person.
02:37But you're still thinking about that you didn't say it before, you didn't say it now.
02:42And honestly, I was sitting at home and I was making a video, but hats off to these guys.
02:46These guys put their lives in danger.
02:48These guys were on the sidewalk, they were on the terrace.
02:50So, I mean, what I want, the reaction that I want is, you know, people should stop and think and, not even just people, I want the government to stop and think.
03:00I mean, they're not even addressing the issue, they're not even claiming that something happened.
03:07The problem is that.
03:08And since you've been doing this for several years now, it's a career out of pollution, if that's what I'm getting right here.
03:15Which is, we're laughing about it, yes, but very, very worrying to sort of even think about.
03:21Have you noticed any change over the years?
03:24No, I think the only change is that it has worsened.
03:28I mean, nothing is good, it's bad too much.
03:32Before that, in any pollution, I didn't feel any change in my mind, because I am lucky that my job is, you know, I don't get to travel that much.
03:44I can do it by sitting at home, I'm lucky that way, but this time, I was somewhere out, and I came back to Delhi, when all of this pollution was happening, and I suddenly realized that we're living in a gas chamber.
03:57I don't know, I mean, the problem is that the government doesn't show pollution because of pollution, it's just so hazy, that they can't see it.
04:09It's just so hazy that they can't see it.
04:12But, Nishche, you've also been making content on pollution for several years now, right?
04:18And every year, you do like a different song that comes out, and every year, you go with this stoic face.
04:25And you go to different places.
04:28I seriously want to know that we talk a lot about pollution, but do they do it for that?
04:37Like, I genuinely want to know, when the protest happened, I was there at India Gate, and I saw a lot of young people, I saw some older people with their kids, etc. as well.
04:46But how many of them were wearing a mask?
04:47So I wonder sometimes, if people care about pollution just enough to talk about it, or enough to do something about it?
04:58I guess we don't have any solution to this now.
05:02I mean, there's no choice now.
05:04Now, just to talk about it, there's no solution left.
05:07We have to do something.
05:08What do we do?
05:09What do we do?
05:10Because, being an artist, I can only speak on the song or on social media.
05:16And I can influence a lot of people around me, who follows me, or who watches me over the internet.
05:22But, there's no choice now.
05:24I mean, you either close your eyes on your eyes, because you don't see yourself.
05:28You don't see yourself.
05:29You don't see yourself.
05:30You don't see yourself.
05:31You don't see yourself.
05:32And, as I wrote a line in my song, how do I take a deep breath in stress?
05:37Because I take a deep breath in stress, then I will get more stress.
05:41So, I guess, we don't have any choice now.
05:44Read a line that you wrote.
05:46So, it says,
05:48I don't have a cigarette, I don't have a drink.
05:51But, my lungs are defective.
05:53And, I don't have an adventure sports.
05:55I don't have a shock.
05:56But, my mouth is playing.
05:57And, I'm looking at AQI.
05:58And, I'm looking at AQI.
06:00I'm looking at a fresh air IPO.
06:04Fresh air IPO?
06:05When will the election will come to fresh air?
06:08I think that's what I'm waiting for.
06:09And, on that note, let me bring in Nirbhai and Vasu as well.
06:14Now, Nirbhai and Vasu are both, you know, have been making songs.
06:19They have one that has already come out.
06:21One that is now going viral from a previous year as well.
06:24So, in this very convoluted world of social media,
06:26everything is coming to fore.
06:28And, hashtag pollution is coming out.
06:30Which tells me that people care.
06:32People are watching.
06:34On my family, WhatsApp group, also everybody is saying,
06:36what's happening in Delhi?
06:38But, how many of them are wearing a mask?
06:40How many of them are doing the right things?
06:42That I always wonder.
06:44When you guys put out this video for the first time,
06:47was the reaction funny?
06:50Was the reaction what to do?
06:53Like, helpless?
06:55Or, was the reaction angry?
06:58Our motivation to make this song was that we were fed up.
07:02Vasu was coming from Himachal.
07:04I was coming back from Uttarakhand.
07:06Around the same dates.
07:07And, the moment we entered the NCR zone.
07:10Let's say Chandigarh.
07:12So, there was a curtain of smoke that we went through.
07:14Our buses went through.
07:16And, that was for both of us.
07:18So, we were really angry.
07:19That, okay.
07:20Now that I have stepped into this music thing.
07:22And, Vasu was already an established musician.
07:25So, he decided that we have to do something.
07:28And, then we sat and within two days,
07:30we made this music and this song.
07:32Yeah.
07:33That was the Mairi song.
07:34No, that was the
07:36other version.
07:38The other version.
07:39The other version.
07:40Because I come from a Sufi background.
07:42Okay.
07:43So, I have been doing Sufi music.
07:44So, that was the Kavali version.
07:45That was the Kavali version in 23.
07:46Then, we made another in Mairi.
07:47In 2024.
07:48Yeah.
07:49So, you will also make it for 25.
07:51We are building songs.
07:53We are talking about content creators.
07:55We are talking about careers.
07:57We are talking about people's careers.
07:58Every year, we are talking about pollution.
08:00But, where is the solution?
08:03Are you guys as frustrated as I am?
08:06Or am I justā¦
08:07Is my algo rigged as they say?
08:09And I am only seeing it.
08:10No.
08:11We thought that we won't have to make another video in 2025.
08:14We hoped that our video would lose its significance in 2025.
08:18Because that thing will happen in 2023.
08:20We garnered more than a crore views.
08:22Yeah.
08:23That's a lot.
08:24But it didn't happen.
08:25So, there isā¦
08:26Somewhere, there is a fault in our stars, I guess.
08:27So, these over millions of people who share likes or share your video or sort of send hearts or send comments.
08:38I wonder how many of them actually vote on pollution.
08:41I wonder how many of them make it a point to talk about it and to raise it all year round.
08:46And let me bring in your partner Vasu from Mumbai as well on this.
08:50Vasu.
08:51Do you think people, all of those, millions of people who love looking at your reels, share it, forward it.
08:57Do you think it matters enough to them that they would actually vote on it one day?
09:02Vasu can hear me?
09:15Foggy signal.
09:16I will blame it on that.
09:17And I will take that question.
09:19And I will take that question to Saloni then.
09:22Saloni, what has really intrigued me about pollution is the fact that when India really unites, we are able to bring about change.
09:31For example, on the issue of dogs.
09:33We managed to roll back an order from Supreme Court for them to rethink, come to a compromise.
09:41Why is it not happening in pollution?
09:43I think people are not that serious.
09:48For example, my own family, the extended family.
09:52In their house, the daughter was fighting for an air purifier.
09:55And the mother was saying, why are you not strong for your lungs?
09:59I don't know what the psyche has happened.
10:02That they have started thinking that you have to get immune to this.
10:06Not the other way around.
10:08There is no immunity on pollution.
10:12Anyways, I don't know.
10:14So she was arguing with her,
10:16You are very little.
10:17Why are you having a problem?
10:19We are taking the breath in the air.
10:21I don't know.
10:22I have seen those pictures where people are running around India gate.
10:26And honestly, I would say that I was sitting at home for such a long time.
10:32Because when I went out, it was bad that I am doing so much good for my health.
10:38And now there is one thing that I cannot do anything.
10:40And that is impacting my health.
10:41Which is an outer factor.
10:43But you are also bored at home.
10:45So I also went to play badminton one day.
10:47But then I thought, what is happening?
10:49That means, why should we stop ourselves?
10:52This is also a thought that comes back.
10:54But again, I don't know what can we do.
10:57When the government is just not hearing anything.
11:00If I were to ask you that question.
11:02That way we can unite on so many things.
11:04Why not pollution?
11:06Because it doesn't affect us immediately.
11:08It affects us in one or two business years.
11:10That's why.
11:11If it were grabbing our throat right now.
11:14We would act on it now.
11:15Because as Indians, I think our responses are a little delayed.
11:18According to India standard time.
11:20Delayed?
11:21Yeah.
11:22It doesn't have immediate impact.
11:23So the food is coming after 2 months.
11:25After 2 months it will be fine.
11:26You will get a drink.
11:27You will eat a drink.
11:28You will get a drink.
11:29You will get a drink.
11:30You will get a drink.
11:31And then a few months later.
11:32And then there will be rain.
11:33And then you will forget.
11:34And then you will get frustrated again.
11:36Yeah.
11:37Guys, I don't know.
11:39So, I.
11:40But you have a song for it.
11:42Which perhaps will make some sense.
11:44I hope it does.
11:45We might not have all the answers today.
11:48We really hope to get it one day.
11:49But there is a song that might make you think.
11:51If we don't understand our conversation.
11:53Maybe we can understand the song.
11:54So please, over to you.
11:56Okay.
11:57So my friend Vasu and I, we wrote this song.
12:00And it's made to a very famous tune.
12:02Of a famous Kawali.
12:03By Ussad Nusra Patalikan Saab.
12:05So Vasu wrote this share in the beginning.
12:08As you are playing, you are doing great music.
12:23Khaansi bani kawali hai
12:27Tumhye clean hawa bool jani padegi
12:33Tumhye clean hawa bool jani padegi
12:38Dilli NCR me aaa kar to dekho
12:43Tumhye clean hawa bool jani padegi
12:48Dilli NCR me aaa kar to dekho
12:54Asthma bronchitis se phir na bacho ge
12:59Bil hospital ka ghaata kar to dekho
13:05Tumhye clean hawa bool jani padegi
13:09Mirzaath Tumhye clean hawa bool jani padegi
13:15Dilli NCR me aaa kar to dekho
13:20Aapki baat piyaraam
13:21Aaa kar to dekho yaa
13:22Vot se mamile jo neta aate the ghar mein
13:26Phonun ku tunh ab nila aaa kar to dekho
13:32Thank you
13:33I have last 30 seconds but I really want you to go over Mairi once
13:37And I would love to leave our viewers also with this song
13:40You know we are laughing, we are smiling about it
13:42But we really shouldn't, it's a serious matter
13:45Please stop thinking your immunity will fight it out
13:47And please stop thinking for once
13:49Ki iski aadat padegi agar apne air purifier laaga lia yaa mask laaga lia
13:53Yeh bhot seeris issues hain
13:54Please apnei doctor ki advice leen
13:56Or kisi ki nahi
13:57Or filhal ke lia yeh gaana enjoy karein
13:59I wish
14:00I wish
14:01I wish
14:02I wish
14:03I wish
14:04I wish
14:05I wish
14:06I wish
14:07I wish
14:08I wish
14:09I wish
14:10I wish
14:11I wish
14:12I wish
14:13I wish
14:14I wish
14:17I wish
14:26I wish
14:32I wish
14:37I wish
14:41Oh, oh, oh, oh.
15:11Thode aur patake thodke aaja
15:16Factory ka ghuaan
15:19Jalati parali
15:21Diesel ke ghuae ka sasta nasha
15:28Thank you so much.
15:30Well on that note, enjoy while you can this music because clearly what happens next we don't know.
15:38I just want to leave you all with this little note and this little thought that pollution is a serious matter.
15:43Think about it, raise your voice about it, demand clean air.
15:46We'll see you tomorrow, bye bye.
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