New Delhi: The music album of Bandish Bandits is set to drop on Thursday evening, nearly a month before Season 2 of the hit show is released on Amazon Prime Video. The show follows the loves and lives of two musicians, Tamannah and Radhe, played by Shreya Chaudhary and Ritwik Bhowmik. One is from a classical background and the other does modern contemporary music.
For the first season, the producers had roped in Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for the music. This time around, the show’s music supervisor Akashdeep Sengupta has roped in composers like Ana Rehman and Digvijay Singh Pariyar (DigV).
“This season brings its own unique talent to the table. The storyline is evolving in a specific direction, and the music has been carefully curated to align with it,” said DigV.
The makers have already dropped a single, Ghar Aa Mahi along with its music video. Posted five days ago on T-Series’ YouTube channel, the video has clocked over 51 lakh views. Composed by Ana Rehman, with lyrics by Shubham Shirule, the song brings together the vocals of pop artists Nikhita Gandhi and DigV. Keeping with the show’s theme, it uses both traditional instruments like the sarangi and tabla and the guitar.
“Akashdeep Sengupta has brought together a diverse group of composers to collaborate on this season’s music album. Everyone has been working tirelessly over the past two years, and we’re optimistic that the hard work will pay off,” said DigV.
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All about folk
Created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari, Bandish Bandits explores the world of Indian classical music and juxtaposes it with contemporary pop through a love story. The musical drama is set to release on 13 December.
DigV, who admits to “binge-watching” the first season, never imagined he’d be part of the music team for the second season. He has composed two songs, Araj and Sakhi Mori, and also lent his voice to the Ghar Aa Maahi.
But the bar is high given that Bollywood’s top music trio were involved in the first season. The first album was a super hit, with songs like Sajan Bin and Chedkhaniyaan with vocalists like Jonita Gandhi, Pratibha Singh Baghel and Shivam Mahadevan.
“I think the audience will certainly miss Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy,” said DigV. “But I urge them to avoid comparing it to the first season and instead approach the music with an open mind.”
DigV, who began his journey as a classical singer, discovered a deep passion for folk music, calling it the greatest teacher. Now, he is committed to bringing more folk music into Bollywood. The rawness and imperfections of folk music are what draws him.
“We’ve struck gold with certain genres but seem stuck on them,” he said, emphasising the vast, unexplored diversity of Indian folk music waiting to be discovered.
He aims to bridge the gap by blending traditional folk with modern sounds and synthesis, creating a hybrid style he calls “the youth’s folk music.”
“Fresh, original folk music has been missing from the market for a while,” he said. “We’ve been recycling tracks like Kesariya Balam for years. But with Bandish Bandits Season 2, this dry spell is about to end.”
Bandish Bandits was released on 4 August 2020 and sparked conversations on the need to revive classical music. “Despite its flaws, Bandish Bandits keeps up focus on this crucial theme,” read a review. Season 2 will be released on 13 December.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)