I really just wanted to dance: Rohit Saraf on his music video Shola with AKASA 

Actor Rohit Saraf has made his music video debut with Shola. The single — a cheeky, high-energy dance number — was released on YouTube by Sony Music. It’s been voiced by AKASA and written and composed by Charan.

Rohit says he’s been wanting to feature in a dance single for a long time. “I’d been a dancer for six years before entering films… so this was something I was really dying to do.”

In the song, AKASA bumps into Rohit at a fair. She’s fled from her wedding and is on the hop. They climb on to a stage and groove it up.

“Times are gloomy right now, but we wanted to create something that’s fresh and fun,” Rohit shares. He recalls attending one of AKASA’s Bollywood Music Project (BMP) shows years ago. The two had been looking to collaborate on a song for a while. “Somehow her previous songs didn’t really have a dance element to it,” Rohit says. "Finally, when this opportunity came up, I was stoked.”

“The melody of Shola came to Charan at 4 o’ clock one morning,” AKASA reveals. “We jammed on it and put it together really fast. Charan wrote the lyrics while I helped out with the Punjabi bits.”

The Shola music video has been directed and choreographed by Vijay Ganguly. The song was shot in March, weeks before the new restrictions came in. “I’m glad it all happened so quickly,” AKASA says. “We had a great, fun vibe on set — though we were cautious and kept reminding each other to put on masks.”

Both Rohit and AKASA have been busy with relief work during the Covid-19 second wave. Several of Rohit’s own family members are positive. “We’re trying to help out as much as we can,” AKASA adds.

Up next, Rohit will be seen in Netflix’s Feels Like Ishq, a collection of seven short films about love. The upcoming series also features Radhika Madan, Amol Parasher, Tanya Maniktala and others.

“My segment will really speak to millennials and the Gen Z,” Rohit teases. “It’s not your quintessential boy-meets-girl story. It’s a real take on modern relationships and how we are with each other.” 

He was also meant to start Mismatched season 2 this year. The project has been held up along with everything else. “Once things start opening up, we’ll have a better idea of what to do.”