Baalti & Lapgan reframe male intimacy through 'Romance' music video

Baalti and Lapgan have shared the official music video for 'Romance', the lead single from their collaborative album ‘Threads’.

Made in collaboration with video platform NOWNESS and directed by Kevin Rathod, the video was shot inside Motibag Talim, a traditional “akhada” (mud pit training ground for wrestlers) in Kolhapur, where “Pehelwans” (wrestlers) run through their daily drills and routines with quiet, practised focus.

Musically, 'Romance' opens on soft vocals, slightly distorted to give it an aged, lo-fi quality, sitting over lush string-like melodies that build gradually throughout the track. Traditional Indian percussions anchor the rhythm, driving the track forward while keeping it rooted in its cultural source material.

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The camera stays close to the action, lingering on quieter moments between wrestlers: a steadying hand, a moment of rest, bodies locking in grip on clay.

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Both Baalti and Lapgan speak to what drew them to the “Pehlwani” tradition: “Pehelwans in our culture represent the ultimate form of cis masculinity, becoming a great vehicle for exploring questions around gender expression, juxtaposed with the track's lyrics.

“Male intimacy in India can be expressed very differently to the west—touch is not stigmatised in the same way,” they add.

Watch 'Romance' below.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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