You don’t really miss the 90’s. Not really. Not until you see a video like this pop up in your newsfeed.

Fuzz Factory Productions pulls another one out their hat. The music video of Rohit John Chettri’s Sannani will take you on a trip back to the days when you came home from school, and, ignoring your mothers warnings, immersed yourself in the 8-bit world of Super Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, Tank or Contra.

When we look back at the video production scene in Nepal, we have witnessed enough to give it a bad name. We have seen things that made our eyes bleed. (I am still not entirely sure if Sunday Morning Love You was meant to be a deliberate misfire, or a serious attempt at a music video.) There are times when they almost get it right. Almost. We have seen some novel concepts come out as cringe-worthy in the final cut. We have also seen stunning cinematography pinned on an uninspiring theme, a potentially interesting story line ruined by choppy editing, and projections of luxury and royalty fizzledown by cheap looking stage props. In the endlessly fascinating world of film-making, apparently there is a lot that could, and often does, go wrong.

Fuzz Factory Productions has been one of the very few video production houses in Nepal, which has consistently been known to hit the nail on the head with what they deliver. With this video, they prove once again that no one in Nepal does the combination of experimental thinking, technical attention to details and executional finesse like they do.

Fans of Rohit John Chettri’s past hit Bistaarai will have the opportunity to hear snippets of an electronic chiptune version of it in this video. We have seen a fair amount of parodies produced by animators around the world in the retro style of 8-bit in YouTube. Though the style itself is not new, the illustrators have done a fantastic job of fusing a distinctly Nepali imagery into a foreign style of animation. The video starts out with an immediately recognisable cityscape of Kathmandu, complete with the crowded temples, stupas and houses, and later moves on to the fields and hills as tiny 8-bit Rohit John rides his scooter out of town.

The characters are so darned cute. Any designer or illustrator will tell you it is the details that transform a character from a pretty drawing to an endearing caricature that appeals to something warm and fuzzy inside you. Be it the blinking of their beady eyes, the bobbing movement of Rohit John’s big hair, or the gentle, quintessential Rajesh Hamal smile, these little details bring a whole lot of charm in the characters.

The lyrics speak oflight teasing and old-fashioned flirtation from a man smitten with Sannani and her rato kurta. The music is upbeat and distinctly folksy with traditional instruments like tabala and sarangi well incorporated into the composition.  A lot of people have commented that the local flavours of the song doesn’t seem to “match” the geeky video. I would argue that the contrast between the two is what makes the video truly original and sets it apart from the ‘Nyah cats’ and wannabes floating around the internet.

The storyline is something you feel, you and your friends could’ve come up with when high. The love story seems to exist for two reasons; 1) to make it relevant

to the lyrics of the song, and 2) for the makers to poke fun at it.  

The metareferences and pop inserts throughout are terrific, with throwbacks to Rohit John’s Bistaarai video and a special guest appearance by our very own Rajesh Hamal dai.

Overall, the Sannani video is a very well packaged surprise for its viewers, pulling together a folksy song, a love story, local landscapes, a scooter, a Kollywood superstar, some sukulgundas, onto an 8-bit animation style, borrowed from the Japanese in the 90’s, and somehow making this very odd mixture of elements work, and work brilliantly. It’s funny and smart and will tease out that 90’s nostalgia in you, and it might just put a big silly grin on your face.