Sandunes' Intergalactic Animated Vid is Another Win for the Indian Dance Scene

The combined artistry of Sanaya Ardeshir AKA Sandunes and director/animator Nikunj Patel is a reflection of just how far an industry showcasing non-film music has come in India. This video for "Exit Strategy" – entirely crowdfunded – is as much a product of a close-knit community of a growing independent music industry and a surging fanbase as it is the vision of two emerging talents.

Sanaya left Bombay in 2011 for London on a music production course, returning to a city (and country) that had changed significantly in merely a year. "This wouldn't even have been possible three years ago as I didn't have those kind of fans, but then also the bigger picture of where India is at," she says. It' a sentiment echoed by Nikunj, who asserts that "there's a kind of energy in Bombay now with these agencies, sponsors, and shows – Indian sensibilities are distinct in terms of the music, and what we are seeing is a result of the intersections where the rest of the world and what we are doing meet."

The video also manifests a rather particular aspiration of Nikunj – "When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut, but that never worked out. I've thought about this incident many times: what if I was on the moon and I saw the earth explode? Where would I go?" Sanaya on the other hand was more drawn to the idea of "how there is a bit of mystery – it could be a lucid dream, a parallel universe – but that vague aspect was something we both found exciting. We wanted to leave it open ended."

Sandunes plays SXSW at the official REProduce showcase at the Iron Bear on March 20. Details here.