Music video director Rhythm Sanadhya reveals why the first few seconds of a song are crucial in today’s fast-scrolling world.
From storytelling to editing, she explains how emotion and instinct drive her creative choices.
Song director Rhythm Sanadhya, who recently directed Mahakumbh fame Monalisa Bhosle in Dil Jania and earlier helmed Kapil Sharma’s Har Safar Mein from Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, believes that the opening moments of a music video are more important than ever in today’s era of shrinking attention spans.
Speaking about her creative process, Rhythm Sanadhya shared, “I always make sure the opening of the song is stellar and distinctive. I try to create inquisitiveness right from the beginning. The first 30 seconds decide the pace of the entire story. I usually pick my most captivating shot for the opening or introduce an engaging narrative to immediately draw the audience in.”
She further emphasised the importance of character introductions. Rhythm Sanadhya said, “The entry of the hero and heroine is crucial. Within the first five to seven seconds, something should feel slightly off or unresolved, perhaps a character doing something unexpected. The mind dislikes unfinished business, so it stays engaged.”
Opening up about the challenges of directing music videos today, Rhythm Sanadhya revealed that time, budget, and audience expectations remain the biggest hurdles. She shares, “Time demands that a complete, cinematic story be told within just three to four minutes. Budgets are rarely enough to fully realise a director’s creative vision, while clients expect maximum impact at minimal cost. That places the responsibility on us to deliver quality far beyond the numbers.”
She added that audience expectations are the most unpredictable element. She said, “In that uncertainty, I rely on intuition. I let my heart follow the rhythm of the music. When the emotion is honest, everything eventually falls into place.”
Rather than limiting her creativity, Rhythm views these constraints as opportunities for problem-solving. Rhythm Sanadhya said, “You stop decorating ideas and start engineering moments. Some of my strongest visuals have come from asking, ‘How do I say this without the obvious tools?’ A shadow, an unplanned movement, or an actor’s instinctive choice, if it feels honest and practical, I trust it.”
“Those moments often become the soul of the video. My vision doesn’t shrink; it distils,” Rhythm Sanadhya added.
Rhythm Sanadhya also acknowledged how editing sensibilities have evolved with the rise of reels and short-form content. She shared, “Cuts are now guided by micro-beats, demanding a heightened awareness of pace, silence, breath, and transition. Even a fraction of a second too long can break engagement.”
“Editing has, in many ways, become musical in itself. When the emotion lands perfectly, any moment from a song can transcend the video and take on a life of its own as a viral reel or meme,” Rhythm Sanadhya concluded.
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