Utkarsh Ambudkar’s new music video has us falling in love
Whether he’s playing Mindy Kaling’s little brother on The Mindy Project, or a smooth-talking, beatboxing champ on Pitch Perfect, renaissance man Utkarsh Ambudkar has completely charmed our socks off. But for all the actor/writer/singer/rapper’s many incredible talents, music has always come first — and lucky for us, we’re about to get a lot more of it.
As Utkarsh tells it, he’s been singing songs into a tape recorder since before he can remember — and this lifelong love of music is very apparent on his new EP, Bang Bang, which comes out late February. The title song was inspired by a real-life breakup that Utkarsh went through a few years back, and it’s equal parts relatable, heartbreaking, and hopeful. We couldn’t be more excited to debut the music video for it here.
“The sound is very poppy and sweet and lovely and catchy, but the actual subject matter is pretty gut-wrenching,” he tells HelloGiggles. “And that’s the kind of music I like to make: Songs that sound very positive, with these sort of darker, sad themes. I like the dichotomy of that.”
Somehow, the song becomes even sweeter once you realize just how humble and hardworking Utkarsh is. His passion for music has ultimately informed his acting career, and even influenced some of his roles. Acting, however, is just the “bread and butter” that has allowed him to create music on his own terms.
While we won’t spoil it, let’s just say the video is one of the cutest things things we’ve seen in a while. Co-written by Miles Feld and Jamison Hollister, and directed by Philly K, the video basically melted my icebox of a heart — and we’re so glad we get to be the ones to share it with you. It even features an adorable pup named Admiral Frazier, who just so happens to be a clothing designer for dogs. (Seriously. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.)
“I’m proud of the video,” Utkarsh tells HG. “I’m mainly proud because I put it together myself. I’m proud of the collaboration that went into it. . . And for surrounding myself with like-minded creative people that lent their talent to helping me see this thing come to fruition. If you can find people that like doing the same shit that you do, stick with ’em. It all comes down to really just completing what you start, over and over again, until you start being proud of it.”
“It’s a satisfaction that I really can’t describe,” he continues. “And the first step to achieving that level of satisfaction in your own work is to always finish what you start. It’s just that simple.”
We think that’s good advice, no matter what you decide to do in life. You can follow Utkarsh on Twitter and Instagram, and stream more of his music on Sound Cloud right here. You can also catch him in Ride Along 2 (in theaters now!), The Muppets (February 2 on February 2), and Barbershop: The Next Cut (in theaters April 15).
(Image via video.)
