‘Delivery Boy’: How A Roadside Death Inspired Himu’s Most Human Song Yet

Some creations (like poetry, movies, music and songs) are born from celebration, while others come from thoughts that won’t let go.

Actor-director Himanshu Prasad Das (Himu), who is also a prolific singer-composer, seems drawn to the latter. His latest song, Delivery Boy, avoids dramatic slogans and excessive sentiment. Instead, it comes from a reality many people notice briefly before moving on: the tiring, often unseen lives of food delivery partners.

Art that comes from tragedy often shows its sadness clearly. Music, movies, poetry, and theatre often use loss as inspiration because pain can leave stronger memories than comfort.

But what makes some creative works stand out is not just the event that inspired them, but how the artist responds. Some turn pain into a show, some make it seem romantic, and others focus only on activism without real feeling.

This latest song Delivery Boy takes a quieter approach. It tries to keep the humanity in a tough social reality without sounding like a lecture.

The song’s emotional roots go back to an incident in Guwahati from a few years ago that briefly shook the public and caught their attention.

A food delivery boy was found dead on the roadside after reportedly working in extreme weather. It was late at night, but the heat was still intense. By morning, his body was still sitting by the road.

The incident caused outrage for a few days and raised tough questions about the working conditions of app-based delivery workers. But, as with many tragedies affecting working-class people, public attention soon faded.

But for those truly affected, such incidents are not easily forgotten. They stay in the background of daily life until they find a way to be expressed. For Himu, that way was music.

The timing of the song matters because delivery workers’ lives have become so normal in cities that people often forget the real exhaustion behind our convenience.

Every late-night food order, every delivery in the rain, every quick arrival depends on someone giving up sleep, health, safety, and time with family. We are used to convenience, but not as used to recognizing the hard work behind it.

There is an irony in how people show empathy to delivery workers.

During the day, it is common to see people offer them water, tea, or small acts of kindness, especially during heatwaves. Social media sometimes turns these moments into feel-good stories. But nights are different. After midnight, when streets are empty and homes are closed, these workers keep moving through the city, almost unseen.

Hunger, tiredness, unsafe roads, bad weather, and tough delivery demands don’t go away at night. In fact, they often get worse.

Delivery Boy is based on this often overlooked reality.

Penned by Chandana Pathak and composed by Himanshu Prasad Das and Mamoni Kalita, the song avoids excessive melodrama despite dealing with a grim social issue, instead opting for a peppy and foot-tapping tune.

This restraint is one of its strengths. Instead of treating delivery workers merely as symbols of suffering, the song seeks to show their dignity as regular people facing tough times.

Speaking to The Story Mug, Himanshu Prasad Das said the tune had actually been composed nearly two to three years ago, alongside the writing of the lyrics.

“I was deeply affected by the incident where a delivery boy was found dead in a sitting position on the roadside. I wanted to speak about this reality through my music,” he said.

Das said he later talked with writer Chandana Pathak about the incident and the wider emotional and social issues delivery workers face and asked her to pen down a few words. The lyrics came out of those talks.

What is perhaps more interesting is Das’ admission that the original version of the song was far more emotionally raw.

“The original lyrics of the song were much more emotionally raw, something people could listen to and emotionally connect with while still making them think. So we edited certain portions and retained what we felt communicated the message better,” he said.

This choice shows a bigger artistic challenge. Socially aware art often has to balance honesty with being easy to connect with. If it’s too harsh, people pull away. If it’s too smooth, the message loses its power. Delivery Boy seems to find a middle ground- it doesn’t hide the problem, but it also doesn’t use suffering just to get an emotional reaction.

The song comes at a time when talk about gig economy workers is still mostly shallow. People often focus on app discounts, convenience, and delivery speed, while real discussions about worker welfare are rare.

Delivery workers still work without guaranteed healthcare, steady income, or enough protection from weather and road dangers. Many work long hours because their pay depends on performance and delivery targets. The need to always be available leaves little time for rest or recovery.

Even with all these challenges, delivery workers are often seen only as people in uniforms with insulated bags. Their real identities get lost behind algorithms, ratings, and delivery timers. Songs like Delivery Boy try to break that distance, even if just for a moment.

Himanshu Prasad Das also shared that the music video was finished several months ago, but its release was delayed because of unavoidable reasons.

“I sincerely hope the message we are trying to convey through the song reaches a large number of people,” he added.

There’s no promise that a song can change working conditions or fix unfair systems. Music alone can’t end labour exploitation. But creative works still matter because they shape how people see each other.

Sometimes, change starts just by making people notice what they usually ignore.

Maybe this is where Delivery Boy succeeds most. It doesn’t demand attention or use tragedy just to get an emotional reaction. Instead, it quietly reminds us that behind every food delivery notification is a real person carrying much more than just a delivery bag.

Watch the song here

ALSO READ | Himanshu Prasad Das And His Few Critical Questions