#UnlockDiaries: Roll Rida reveals how they shot for the music video Nagali with the new Covid-19 norms

Rapper Roll Rida has been busy ever since lockdown was lifted, shooting for a new single called Nagali and gearing up for its release. His social media is filled with titbits showing a sneak-peek into how the music video will be like. What’s clear however is that Amit Tiwari, his Bigg Boss Telugu 2 housemate and one of his closest friends, plays a farmer who seems to have been wronged. A behind-the-scenes video called ‘filming and covid’ was also released, to showcase how the crew shot during the pandemic. “We were one of the first ones to begin shoot right after the government gave permission. In fact, we began the pre-production work and began getting ready to shoot for this music video when we found out that the government will allow shoots soon,” explains Roll Rida to Hyderabad Times, adding, “We shot at Ramoji Film City for three days in June, but it was difficult to shoot with a crew of forty instead of hundred. What could’ve been wrapped up in two days took us three days due to the social distancing norms. However, we did not want to compromise on safety.” The crew of the music video had a decontamination chamber set up, would constantly wear masks and sanitise themselves. “We were excited but scared too as none of us wanted to get infected and in turn, infect our families. We home-quarantined ourselves after the shoot and luckily all of us tested negative. It’s worth it, but it was so stressful to shoot under such conditions,” he states. During lockdown, like all of us, Roll Rida also had free time on his hands to spend with family. During a grocery run to pick up vegetables, he wondered about the state of the farmers in our country. “Even now as the pandemic rages on, everyone speaks of the doctors and policemen, but not the farmers. No one realises that had they quit working, we would’ve all starved the last few months, there would’ve been famine. People call farmers the backbone of the country because they’re truly never given the recognition they deserve and taken for granted even at times like these,” he adds. It was then that Roll Rida wanted to tell the people of the country that it’s time to ‘show some bloody respect’ to the farmers. “My father was also a farmer; he told me all about how things were so bad then. Nothing has really changed now if all the farmer suicides this country sees are anything to go by. Nagali is an idea where I ask the question – what if the farmers we take for granted get angry at us and revolt back, what would the world look like then?” he asks. In the music video that has been directed by Harikanth Gunamagari, composed by Pravin Lakkaraju and penned by Roll Rida, bringing together the team of Arupu, the same farmer that feeds us is shown like a God. “It was Harikanth’s idea to show the farmer like this, because a God has the power to create and punish both. He brought a whole new perspective to the video and I can’t wait to give out this message to the world,” says Roll Rida, rounding off.