Aman and Sanjeeta reunite for ESWY, a love song across lifetimes

A man spends seven lifetimes chasing the same woman. In every era, ranging from a smoky 1950s jazz club, and a neon-lit 1980s street, to a fleeting moment in the ‘70s, he comes close to love, only to die before it can be fulfilled. Until finally, in 2025, they find each other and make it. That’s the premise of ‘Everything Sucks Without You’ (ESWY), a genre-defying music video that feels more like a short film, blending reincarnation and romance.

The track is the brainchild of producer, lyricist and singer Aman Sagar who brings together storytelling and melody in this ambitious project. Directed by Yuvrajaago and narrated by Jaaved Jafferi, the video features Sanjeeta Bhattacharya in multiple avatars, each marking a different decade, lifetime, and heartbreak.

Produced by Molfa Music and Jugaad Motion Pictures, ‘ESWY’ even had exclusive theatre screenings in Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram before dropping online, a rarity for indie music videos.

We caught up with Aman and Sanjeeta over a phone call from Mumbai, where they spoke about building a love story across lifetimes, bending formats, and why ‘Everything Sucks Without You’ might be the start of something bigger.

Story behind the title

E-S-W-Y — quite a cryptic title!” Aman and Sanjeeta laugh when asked how the name came to be. “It started organically,” says Sanjeeta. “Aman played me a track he was working on and asked if I would like to build something on top of it. As I began singing, it felt like the song was about longing for a friend, a partner, someone who used to be there. At that moment, I said, ‘I would do everything without you.’ That line just stuck.” Aman adds, “I saved the project as E-S-W-Y, short for Everything Sucks Without You. There was something intriguing about the abbreviation. People saw it on the poster and kept guessing what it meant. We liked that sense of curiosity.”

The video’s reincarnation-led narrative was crafted by the team at Jugaad Motion Pictures, including director Yuvrajaago. “We have seen reincarnation done in Hollywood and Indian cinema,” Aman says, “but we wanted to offer a fresh take — not melodramatic, but poetic and reflective.”

Sanjeeta adds, “What drew me to the story was how grounded it felt despite the fantastical concept. The characters feel real, and each era has its own flavour.”

Musically, ‘ESWY’ blends pop with touches of hip-hop, indie soul, and subtle classical elements. “I have been listening to a lot of alternative hip-hop lately,” Aman explains. “I tried to bring that into this track, along with elements of indie and soul.”

Both artistes agree that the emotional core of ‘ESWY’ is longing. “It is about the ache of missing someone who holds deep emotional power over you,” Aman says.

“It is not just heartbreak,” Sanjeeta adds. “It is that feeling of recognising a soul you’ve known before and not being able to hold onto them… again.”

Creative collaboration

This is not the first time Aman and Sanjeeta have worked together. “We have probably done over a hundred shows together in the last couple of years,” Aman says. “Now we understand each other so well, we don’t need to explain much.”

Sanjeeta agrees. “Even when we were in different countries — Aman was in Boston, I was in India — collaborating was easy. I would send him an idea, and he would turn it into something magical. He has that instinct.”

She also helped Aman with his acting in the video. “He was new to acting, but he was open and honest. We workshopped scenes together, and it was fun.”

‘Everything Sucks Without You’ is part of a larger seven-song EP that will be released on July 7. Aman and Sanjeeta will perform it live at the All You Can (AYC) festival on July 5 in Mumbai. “I will be playing my full album,” says Aman. “And Sanjeeta will join me for a few songs on stage.”

Both artistes are alumni of Berklee College of Music. While they’re grateful for the exposure and network it offers, they remain grounded in their creative independence.

“I owe a lot to Berklee,” Sanjeeta says. “It expanded my understanding of genres. I had never heard of Bossa Nova or certain jazz styles before that. But being around such talented musicians in person changes you.”

Aman adds, “For me, Berklee wasn’t just about learning music,  it taught me how to collaborate, how to be around creative people. I’m grateful I got to study there for four years.”

So where do they see their music going? “I’m not in Mumbai to break into the industry or do formula stuff,” Aman says. “I just want to keep doing my thing. If it picks up, great,  but I’m not chasing trends.”

Sanjeeta, who juggles acting (appeared in Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan), singing, and dancing, calls herself a multidisciplinary artiste. “It is exciting to find new art forms, and I’m having fun discovering how they can come together, in something like ‘ESWY’, for instance. I just want to keep creating work that feels authentic.” 

(Aman and Sanjeeta will perform live at the All You Can festival on July 5 in Mumbai)

Published – July 03, 2025 03:00 pm IST