You need to hear Utkarsh Ambudkar and Janina Gavankar’s hauntingly beautiful cover of “500 Miles”
Utkarsh Ambudkar is a true Renaissance man. The actor/writer/singer/rapper has popped up in all of your favorite movies and TV shows: You might know him as Mindy Kaling’s little brother on The Mindy Project or you’ve seen his beatboxing skills as Donald in Pitch Perfect, just to rattle off two examples.
And recently he teamed up with actress Janina Gavankar to record a hauntingly beautiful rendition of “500 Miles” by The Proclaimers. Here at HelloGiggles we are thrilled to exclusively premiere this video, which we guarantee will give you chills. Watch the entire video above, and read on below for a brief background on how this gorgeous cover came to be.
Utkarsh has known Janina for over a decade, and they first met when Utkarsh was a VJ for MTV DESI when he interviewed Janina while she was playing Papi on “The L Word.” Years passed, and the two reconnected in Los Angeles via Utkarsh’s “Let’s Talk About Me, Baby” podcast.
They first performed “500 Miles” at a concert in Park City in support of their film Blindspotting, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was bought by Lionsgate. They changed the lyrics of “500 Miles” to reflect where they are in their own lives, and the response to the song’s simple arrangement and honest delivery was so positive that they decided to make a studio recording and shoot a video in the span of two(!) days.
We chatted with Utkarsh over the phone, and he explained why he chose the song “500 Miles.”
“I wanted to look at a song that we all know and love with a new set of eyes and ears.
The song was produced by Janina and the video was directed by Davy Greenberg. We weren’t kidding earlier when we said this rendition will give you chills and stay with you all day long. We guarantee you’ll want to play it over and over again.
Utkarsh can be seen starring opposite Brie Larson in the musical comedy Basmati Blues, opening in theaters and on demand February 9th. Janina can be seen in the lead role in Star Wars Battlefront II.
Follow Utkarsh on Twitter and Instagram @UTKtheINC and follow Janina on Twitter and Instagram @Janina.