Premiere: Sameer Rahat’s Stirring Song ‘Khat’ Gets a Short Film

Mumbai-based composer, producer and songwriter Sameer Rahat marks a year since the release of his debut album Aamad with a new “music film” for his song “Khat,” directed by filmmaker Keerthi Raju and starring actors Bhumika Dube and Rudraksh Thakur.

Contained within the five and a half minute visual is a journeying story of two torn lovers, mirroring the perspectives penned by Rahat in the song which heaps on wailing guitar work as well as a striking crescendo. We see Danish (portrayed by Thakur) and Kanu (Dube) at different stages of an intimate relationship together. Rahat met filmmaker Raju at a party with the latter expressing an interest in making a film and getting him on board as a music composer. That’s when Rahat suggested that he would be keen to have her make a music video or a short film for “Khat.” The artist adds, “It’s a music film and not a music video per se. That’s how I intend to keep it for the rest of the songs off Aamad as well.”

They began work on writing and creating the story for “Khat” in August last year and spent three months on it, while shooting began in December in Vashi with production house Robot Monkey. “It was like a proper film and I was creatively involved but I did want to let them do their thing, so I became a client at some point,” Rahat says with a laugh.

Mentioning a few times over that it turned out to be a “wonderful experience” to bring “Khat” to life with a film, Rahat mentions that although he was a film student, this project was much more elaborate than a school-made feature.

Up next, there’s an animated “anime” style visual story for “Hum Kaun Thae” being developed in Japan and the U.S. and another music video for “Khuda Hai Kya” in the works. Rahat thinks back about the year gone by when the pandemic did effectively prevent him from touring, but maintains that he’s happy with the success of Aamad since it was a passion project. “It’s been life-changing. Sometimes the most beautiful things happen without intention,” he says.

Watch the film for “Khat” below.