New Delhi: For singer Vaibhav Gupta, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is like a “dream come true.” It marks the Indian Idol season 14 winner’s Bollywood debut, which the 21-year-old says is the “perfect launch” one could have only hoped for. Gupta has sung ‘Mann Atkeya’, composed by Shashwat Sachdev, in the film, and audiences are already drawing comparisons to singer Javed Bashir.
“I am making my debut in the biggest film of the decade, helmed by one of the finest filmmakers and under the guidance of composer Shashwat Sachdev… it cannot get better than this,” Gupta told ThePrint over a phone call.
The love and appreciation coming his way on social media have been overwhelming. He says that he hasn’t processed it yet as his phone buzzes constantly with congratulatory messages from friends and family.
“People are calling me ‘Javed Bashir 2.0’. I’ve always been a huge fan of his, so being compared to him by the audience… it’s hard to even put my emotions into words right now,” he added.
Gupta says that Dhurandhar’s album stands out in the market today because it is something unheard of. It strikes a rare balance, blending rap, qawwali, and large-scale production in a way that feels both ambitious and fresh.
“It’s the kind of space every artist wants to explore. Dhurandhar isn’t just pushing filmmaking forward; it’s a new chapter for music as well,” he added.
As the film gears up for its 19 March release, Gupta has been revisiting Dhurandhar Part 1 for the fourth time to soak it all in. He has already watched it three times, once in theatres and twice on Netflix.
“The first time I saw it in theatres, I was completely hooked, especially by the background score and the songs. At that moment, I had an unrealistic wish to be part of something like this. I still can’t believe I ended up singing in Dhurandhar: The Revenge,” he said.
‘Arijit is a distant mentor’
Gupta’s journey has a striking similarity to that of Arijit Singh. He even describes Singh as a Dronacharya to his Eklavya, crediting him as a distant mentor who helped him shape his voice.
Like Singh, Gupta first found recognition through Indian Idol, though he went a step further by winning the show at just 19. He then spent the next two years refining his voice through classical training, breaking it down and rebuilding it from the ground up. Now, with the release of his song, listeners have responded with varied interpretations of his voice; some hear a Pakistani-style texture, others find it rooted in folk, while a few describe it as raw and rustic.
“He is like a distant mentor. I have learned a lot just by listening to his songs. I would pick one track every day and practice, even focusing on how he pronounces words like khwab or phool. I would spend hours on it,” Gupta said, adding that in some way, a trace of Singh can be found in almost every singer today.
While the audiences are showering him with praises, for him, the biggest compliment came from Dhar. “He said, ‘Your voice is very new. Keep working on it. You have a long journey’,” Gupta recalled.
The most memorable part of Mann Atkeya for Gupta was the process itself. The song took nearly 10-15 days to shoot, but the experience never felt exhausting. “We would record for six hours straight and still not feel tired. It was incredibly fulfilling,” he said.
The Indian Idol 14 winner also credits composer Shashwat Sachdev for shaping the album’s success. According to him, Sachdev’s vision stands out for introducing fresh talent and distinct voices, while also bringing back the essence of older musical styles.
“One cannot overlook the fact that he has revived 1980s music. That element particularly drew me in and inspired me,” he said.
Also read: What’s the story behind Dhurandhar 2’s CBFC approval? 21 edits, preview delays, and more
Rejected six times
Gupta comes from a humble background in Kanpur. His father runs a small grocery store, and the entire family of 16 to 17 members lives in the Nankari area, behind IIT Kanpur. Music was never a part of their legacy, or as Gupta puts it, “kisi ne sargam ka ‘s’ bhi nahi lagaya hai. (nobody even knew the ‘S’ of sargam in our house).”
“I don’t know how I ended up in this field,” he said. “But I feel like God chose me and gave me this gift so I could stay connected to Him.”
Nowadays, the Nankari area has been buzzing with chatter. People have been visiting Gupta’s father to congratulate him. His family has planned parties to celebrate their son’s success.
“My dad was on the video call throughout the music launch. He instructed me to capture every moment because he doesn’t want to miss anything. I wish I could be with them to celebrate this moment,” the singer said.
But the road from Kanpur to Mumbai wasn’t built overnight for him. Before finally making it in 2024 and going on to win the reality singing show, Gupta faced rejection six times in various shows.
“I would always fall short and couldn’t qualify at the final stage,” he recalled. “But in a way, it’s poetic how things have unfolded over the last two years.”
Interestingly, he never saw winning Indian Idol as the ultimate achievement.
“I never looked at it as an achievement,” he said. “For me, it was just a stepping stone, or I would say the beginning of my real struggle in the music industry.”
(Edited by Saptak Datta)