Once upon a time in 2020: Meri Aavya: A bedtime story with a 'wake-up' call message, says Sundeep Bhutoria

This Hindi recital is inspired by Tomos Roberts aka Tom Foolery’s popular inspirational video - “The Great Realisation”.

Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Grammy winner and Padma Bhushan recipient) has composed music with his son Saurabh Bhatt and given the music direction for the video.

Neelam Muntashir, wife of famous poet, lyricist and songwriter Manoj Muntashir, has penned the touching narrative.

Shashi Taroor, Sonal Mansingh, Rupa Ganguly, Arindam Sil, Shazia Ilmi, Manoj Muntashir and other eminent citizens have responded warmly to the video.

The video, which fast forwards to the year 2025, is about a father (Sundeep Bhutoria) who is coaxed by his daughter (Aavya) to tell a story before going to sleep. The father obliges with a narration of a world that-once-was before Corona struck and its aftermath.

“The video is like an ode to the post-Corona life in which hardship has taught humanity many lessons. The narrative is a bedtime story with a wake-up call for humanity at large. I am glad that the video has touched a chord with a wide audience and I am sure people would introspect and revive the lost humane values in a post-pandemic world,” said Sundeep Bhutoria, who is an active social worker and cultural activist.

Bhutoria, who organises many cultural events across the country and abroad, decided to collaborate with Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt after broaching the idea of the video with him. “Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt was glad to compose the music and was soon on board with his son Saurabh,” Bhutoria said.

Bhutoria later approached Neelam Muntashir to help with the nazm (portion of urdu poetry, usually written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose style) to which she agreed.

Earlier, at the first birthday of his daughter, Bhutoria had compiled a series of letters about a father’s love for a daughter. Mr Bhutoria has also written books on tiger safari, travelogues and China.