Exclusive Premiere: Ankur Sabharwal Pines for the Past in ‘Drifting’ Video

New Delhi singer-songwriter Ankur Sabharwal takes the nostalgic, melancholic route on his latest song “Drifting,” whose music video — directed by regular collaborator Mrinal Bahukhandi — also features his son Arjun portraying the artist’s younger self.

The follow-up to his 2021 single “Better Man,” Sabharwal and Bahukhandi team up once again with a wholly different intention. With “Drifting” being more of a gentle, emotive ballad grounded in acoustic melodies, Sabharwal’s lyrics are centered around childhood and past memories. “‘Drifting’ is about looking back at one’s childhood, thinking about the people, places and memories that were a part of it. As also realizing that time moves on. I wrote the basic song in a single sitting, a couple of years ago, with a few tweaks here and there, along the way. I have always been moved by the ‘In Memoriam’ section at the Oscars and I see this song as something that could perhaps be played there,” Sabharwal says in a statement.

To offer a visual representation of his thoughts, Bahukhandi uses a photography darkroom, projecting grainy visuals from the past and even calls in Sabharwal’s son Arjun. The director, who also worked on the intricate, pop culture reference-filled video for “Better Man,” says in his statement, “The idea of imagining and creating scenes from the past and then projecting those onto Ankur and Arjun created a suspension of time and texture.” Sabharwal adds, “The video has been gorgeously done to create a ‘still in motion’ feeling using slow motion, film photography and projected footage.”

For the song, Sabharwal also called on veteran guitarist Gussy Rikh — best known for his work right from the Sixties with rock band Devil Beats and later with fusion/pop band Euphoria — to add nylon and electric guitar parts. With drummer Suyash Gabriel providing a warm sense of rhythm, “Drifting” was put together in the studio by Mumbai-based, New Delhi-bred guitarist-producer Keshav Dhar.

Watch the video for “Drifting” below. Stream the song here