Music composer Siddharth Pandit on how ‘Bad Newz’ cameo translated into for coming on-board for ‘Bandish Bandits’

Mumbai, Dec 3 (IANS) Music composer and music producer Siddharth Pandit, who has composed the music for the upcoming second season of the musical streaming show ‘Bandish Bandits’, has shared that his meeting with the show’s director Anand Tiwari led to his cameo appearance in ‘Bad Newz’ and then paved the way for him coming onboard for ‘Bandish Bandits’.

Siddharth has been working in the film industry for close to a decade and has titles like ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, ‘Modern Love Mumbai’, ‘Rudra’, ‘City of Dreams’, and ‘Selection Day’ under his belt.

Talking about the show, the composer said, “Working on the tracks for ‘Bandish Bandits’ was an incredible experience. Anand Tiwari sir, the director, came across my independent album ‘Azaad Sangeet’ and was particularly fond of the track ‘Hichki’ from my first album. With his vision, we reimagined the track to suit the show’s script and characters, giving birth to ‘Hichki 2.0’”.

He continued, “Another song, ‘Khaamakha’, started as a work-in-progress draft I was developing for ‘Azaad Sangeet’. When I shared it with him, he loved it. Nikhita Gandhi’s voice beautifully brought the song to life, aligning it with the character Tamanna, played by Shreya Chaudhary. I am truly grateful for his trust and vision in bringing my music into this esteemed show”.

Siddharth took the baton for ‘Bandish Bandits’ from Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, who composed the music for the first season of the show making it their OTT debut. When asked how he came on-board for the show’s second season, he said, “Over time, I felt the need to create something personal and took the leap to release my own compositions through my independent music initiative, Azaad Sangeet”.

He further mentioned, “I’ve released three albums under this banner, and Anand sir had been listening to them for a while. We first met during his previous film ‘Bad Newz’, where I did a small cameo as a band member. That connection led to further discussions, and two years ago, we began crafting the music for ‘Bandish Bandits’”.

For him, creativity is about freedom. The composer shared that he focuses on expressing himself authentically rather than worrying about commercial success or trends.

He said, “I enjoy blending diverse genres and styles, often surprising myself with the results. My training at AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory in Chennai taught me to remain true to my art and let everything else fall into place. With that foundation, I approach every project with a focus on creating something fresh and meaningful”.

Talking about his upcoming projects, he said, “I’ve recently had the privilege of producing a beautiful EP for the iconic Rekha Bhardwaj. It was a wonderful challenge to bring my own touch to the arrangement and production while preserving its soul”.

“I’m also working on taking Azaad Sangeet to the stage with a live performance. It’s an exciting journey, and I can’t wait to share it with audiences soon”, he added.

‘Bandish Bandits’ is set to drop on December 13 on Prime Video.

–IANS

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