Anna Ben stars in pop-folk band When Chai Met Toast’s new video

Multilingual pop-folk band When Chai Met Toast, known for their feel-good music, released a video for their first Hindi single Kahaani on Tuesday. The video stars Anna Ben, who is incidentally a fan and friend of the band.

The DIY video, necessitated by the pandemic and lockdown, was shot in Calicut with a six-member crew, alongside an adorable kitten, Kimchi.

“We shot the video for Kahaani in two days in a single location, changing it around for each sequence. We created a makeshift cafe and shot half of the video inside a single room, which was our art director’s home in Calicut,” say When Chai Met Toast (WCMT) of the process behind shooting the video.

Packed with characteristic WCMT sonic flourishes – gentle guitar plucking and the sounds of banjo – Kahaani is a love song for those who met the right person at the wrong time.

“The story revolves around a couple for whom things don’t work out as planned, though they believed they were meant for each other. It’s that instant realisation of the failure of their relationship, but accepting fate and acknowledging the beautiful moments they shared,” the band adds.

Kahaani is a part of the Kochi-based band’s upcoming album, When We Feel Young, and follows two previously released tracks, Maybe I can fly and the title track.

The four-piece indie-folk band from ‘the land of coconuts’ has amassed fans across the country with their infectious sound of pop infused with Western folk and deep-rooted in Indian musical sensibilities. Their uplifting, radio-friendly songs bring together a kaleidoscope of musical styles and instruments under the expansive umbrella of pop music. And their ability to convey ideas and emotions in a multitude of languages – Tamil, Hindi, or Malayalam, sprinkled with English verses – sets them apart from their contemporaries in the independent music landscape.

Made up of founding members Ashwin Gopakumar (vocals) and Achyuth Jaigopal (guitar and banjo), Palee Francis on keys and drummer Sailesh G Pai, When Chai Met Toast is a part of Spotify’s global emerging-artist program, RADAR.