Madhubanti Bagchi says that after ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ became a hit, she made sure not to get stuck doing the same kind of songs, and feels every artiste should build their own identity. She also thinks Bollywood should use more singers instead of putting so much work on Arijit Singh alone.
Madhubanti Bagchi’s tracks continue to strike a chord
Even as Bagchi’s newest release, “Jab Talak” from ‘Cocktail 2’, keeps gaining traction, older tracks like “Shararat” from ‘Dhurandhar’ (2025), along with several of her earlier songs, haven’t lost their popularity either. “It’s a fulfilling feeling for sure,” she tells mid-day, opening up about the industry’s tendency to typecast artistes and her efforts to safeguard her craft in a business that depends too much on a select few voices.
Madhubanti Bagchi on saying no to similar offers
Asked whether she was flooded with offers for similar songs after that track’s success, and how difficult it was to steer clear of that trap, she said, “It wasn’t difficult to say no to such offers. The industry seems to put you in a box and then overuse it as much as possible until you do something else. Then they will put you in another box. Before Aaj Ki Raat, my Heeramandi song [Nazariya Ki Maari] came and everybody saw me as a classical singer. When Aaj Ki Raat released, people jumped from ‘She is a classical singer’ to ‘She sings dance numbers’. As artistes, we have to think about the narrative we are going to set for the audience. Why would I restrict myself to [one genre]?”.
Madhubanti Bagchi on recording Jab Talak
On how “Jab Talak” came about, she said, “Jab Talak was recorded after the film’s first teaser was dropped. I am happy with the way the female part was composed. Pritamda is a magician. Who doesn’t want to work with him? It’s a dream for any artiste to sing a song composed by him.”