Kannada Rapper All Ok Turns the Tables on Ashika Rangnath in ‘Mallige Hoova’ Video

Kannada pop and hip-hop artist All Ok has pulled a fast one on a grifter in a glitzy new music video for “Mallige Hoova.” The song, which also has a Hindi version called “Gajre Waale,” brings in actor Ashika Rangnath and feeds off a buoyant, party beat produced by All Ok.

The music video not only has Ashika – who is known for Kannada films such as Crazy Boy and Raambo 2 – but also plays off the Kannada idiom of placing a jasmine flower behind one’s ear, which usually means defrauding a person. All Ok aka Alok Babu says about the making of the song and music video concept, “This idea came to me about three months back, when I had a concept in my mind which I wanted to deliver through a beautiful girl. The context is that a beautiful woman steals your heart and takes over your mind in that moment, and how things actually turn out once you find out what [kind of person] she actually is.”

Playfully presenting the idea of beauty and how one can be fooled on the pretext of attraction, All Ok begins his music video with the wish to put his mother’s ring on a girl he likes, and he’s immediately drawn to Ashika’s character as they board a cruise ship that heads out into the waters. Realization dawns upon the rapper that he’s mixed up with a con artist who has stolen his ring, but he gets the last laugh in a post-credits scene in the music video. All Ok says about working with Ashika, “When I wrote the lyrics, it hadn’t matched up to the character but once Ashika got on board, it felt like the entire song was written with her in mind. That’s how well she blended into the song with her character.”

Another striking feature about the music video for “Mallige Hoova” remains All Ok’s ability to reel in brands and product placements as an independent artist. Although he credits his distributor Believe as a major force in marketing, the artist credits it to his long run of 16 years in the music game. “When I started, not only were there no brands [to work with independent artists] but there was no YouTube. The whole scene up until now has been a great journey, the bar is set higher every year. Being a regional artist, it’s a bit hard to get brands, but I’m fortunate enough. A lot of big names are coming in and supporting us and it’s a blessing to be honest,” he adds.

Up next, there are at least two or three more songs releasing in 2022, even as All Ok takes on duties as music director for up to “seven upcoming movies.” He adds, “It’s going to rain back-to-back blockbusters, that’s all I can say. It’s going to be multilingual, because we’ve got good support for regional content across South India, be it films or songs.”

Watch the video for “Mallige Hoova” below.