Premiere: SambitC, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Nikhita Gandhi, Chintan Rachchh and More Join for Emphatic Pop on ‘Time’

Kolkata artist Sambit Chatterjee teams up with actor Ritabhari Chakraborty, singer Nikhita Gandhi, filmmaker Chitrangada Satarupa, actor Chintan Rachchh and vocalist Siddhant Sharma for an emotive look at love beyond the stage lights in “Time.”

The single marks the first pop release from Chatterjee, the drummer for bands like Aswekeepsearching who helms composing duties on the track backed by the likes of Chakraborty, Gandhi and Sharma. The song features lyrics from Josh Martin.

Created in the span of three days, Chatterjee says pop was not too difficult for him but mostly credits the project to Chakraborty for bringing the project to life. She serves as producer, co-lyricist and actor for “Time,” which is a journeying song that’s straight from the heart in laying out all the twisted emotions but over wistful melodies. Chakraborty, who helms the role of a protagonist alongside Chintan Rachchh, says, “’Time’ is literally my baby. It feels amazing to have created something which is so different, with people so close to me like Sambit, Josh, my sister Chitranganda, who directed the video. Even having that power of creating something with people I love, and they delivering in a way, which is beyond my expectation has been magical for sure.”

Chatterjee, for his part, says he was keen on bringing the likes of Gandhi – a friend since their school days – on board because of her “soulful grungy” voice. The vocalist says of the collaboration, “I was truly impressed with the scale of production and the set for the music video! Ritabhari and Chitrangada were working so hard to put it together. Feels super great to be part of this!” With Sharma also handling vocal duties, says it was a quick turnaround helped by how much Chatterjee wanted him to be part of it. “There were no attempts to prove anything but just record parts that felt right for the song,” Sharma adds.

Seeming right out of a movie in terms of cinematography and production, the music video for “Time” puts viewers right into the heart of grandiose drama. Chitrangada Satarupa says, “Ritabhari wanted the visuals to be of a love story between two artists/collaborators that defies conventional labels.” She adds, “The glossy aesthetics, dominated by pink and blue hues represent the glamorous and larger than life aspect of the performer’s life. However, beneath this the true essence of their performances comes from the range of emotions they share.”

Rachchh – recently seen in the Netflix series CLA$$ – says he has never been part of a music video project on this scale, but was driven by Chakraborty’s excitement when she pitched it to him. “I’ve also not been to Kolkata before the video was shot. I remember the first night being there. I was sleeping and suddenly woke up around 5 am and it was as bright as 7 am in Mumbai. I love the energy of the city. Coming to the shoot, it was very well executed,” he says.

The lyricist for the song, Josh Martin, says a chance encounter with Chakraborty in Los Angeles led to his involvement in co-writing “Time.” He adds, “I’m humbled and thrilled that my debut as a songwriter comes in support of such talented artists on the other side of the planet.”

Although “Time” marks a pop start for Chatterjee, he’s not limiting himself in terms of projects. From metal to prog-jazz to acoustic and electronic, the multi-instrumentalist says a lot more is coming up. “I don’t feel anyone should limit me to one sound or one identity, if I enjoy making the music and hearing it again and again, I will keep doing it,” he says.

Watch the video for “Time” below.