We Shot a Cult Desi Hip-Hop Video in a Living Room and Got Ranveer Singh in It

Back in 2018, I found myself in the middle of a small but exciting circle, managing a few graffiti artists and working closely with Bboy Flying Machine, also known as Arif Chaudhary. Around then, a young rapper from Dharavi named MC Altaf reached out looking for guidance. Within a week, the three of us were sitting together, talking music and realizing there was something worth building.

We recorded the track "Wassup" at my college friend Udayan Dharmadhikari's home studio. For the video, I got Bhumesh Das on board. The plan was ambitious — multiple outdoor locations. Then the rain showed up and refused to leave. Within two hours, we had a new plan. My parents were heading out of town, so we turned my living room into our set.

I walked into Evas Pizza in Marol and convinced them to give us ten pizzas in exchange for a placement in the video. Then Altaf mentioned he had met Ranveer Singh on the sets of Gully Boy. A short while later, we had a clip of Ranveer vibing and lip-syncing to the track from his vanity van.

The video crossed 300,000 views on YouTube. MC Altaf went on to join Gully Gang. Udayan continued growing as a music director. Bhumesh started Alphabooom. For me, this project is a reminder of how much can happen when you connect the right people at the right time.