Artistes need to let go of shackles & be truly authentic: Madhubanti Bagchi

Madhubanti Bagchi may have become one of the most recognisable singers in the country, but she is now equally focused on carving out an identity beyond playback singing. The singer, who was recently in Chennai to shoot a music video for her indie song, says, “I’ve been to Chennai before (to record Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ( They Call Him OG ) and the Hindi version of Peelings ( Pushpa 2: The Rule )), but this time, it’s much more special because I’m here for the shoot of my own song!”‘AAJ KI RAAT CHANGED PEOPLE’S PERCEPTION OF ME AS A CLASSICAL SINGER’The singer feels that what makes Aaj Ki Raat , her big breakout hit from Stree 2 , great is that “it wasn’t just a visual hit”.

“It also worked on radio and streaming platforms. On YouTube, people were trying to figure out who the singer was. That kind of recognition is quite rare these days,” she says. The song also changed the audience’s perception of her. “Earlier, I was known as a classical singer, as I had sung a lot of classical songs, but this one song changed that perception.

”‘I REALISED MY NON-FILM MUSIC HAS TO HAPPEN ALONGSIDE MY FILM WORK’Madhubanti says her life changed a lot after Aaj Ki Raat . “I had to become performance-ready, deal with the world perceiving me differently after a hit, and work harder for my next opportunities.

In that process, independent music took a backseat. I didn’t release anything for one-and-ahalf years,” she says. That pause, however, led to a realisation. “I understood that I can’t wait for things to settle down. My non-film music has to happen alongside my film journey.

The system makes you scared and less willing to take risks. But I’ve lost those inhibitions of playing it safe.”‘ARTISTES HAVE TO BECOMEPROACTIVE, CREATE OUR WORK AND WORLD’For her, the rise of independent music offers new possibilities, but she acknowledges it remains a path less travelled by playback singers.

“Playback singers spend their entire lives waiting for that one big break. When it finally happens, more songs come your way. But what are you really doing for yourself? As artistes, we have to become proactive, create our own work and build our own world. Maybe it won’t reach as many people as film music does.

But even if it reaches a fraction of those listeners and they genuinely relate to you, that’s valuable,” she shares.‘AS AN ARTISTE, YOU NEED TO BE TRULY AUTHENTIC’Madhubanti sees Arijit Singh stepping away from film music to focus more on independent work as an artiste’s pursuit of freedom. “I think it comes from a need for freedom, where you can express emotions that do not always fit into the film structure. Now, Arijit da can certainly exercise his free will and create the songs he truly wants to sing. If he wants to sing a jazz piece tomorrow, he can do that. As an artiste, at some point, you need to let go of the shackles.

As an artiste, you need to be truly authentic; you can’t just be serving the industry. Even internationally, I listen to artistes who are authentic, like Adele, Lady Gaga, and Coldplay.”On making an appearance on screen in Shararat...“That was an interesting move by Aditya Dhar. My co-singer, Jasmine Sandla, and I were in the video. I was a little hesitant at first and told them, ‘Please don’t ask me to dance.’ They assured me that singers won’t be asked to dance and asked me to have fun.

I’ve never been on a Bollywood set. So, that was a lot of fun, and watching myself on screen felt nice.”Madhubanti’s Tamil wish list: ARR, Anirudh, Sai Abyankkar & RaajaAdmitting that the Tamil songs she’s sung so far have all been covers, Madhubanti hopes she’d get an opportunity to sing a Tamil film song soon. Ask about composers she wishes to collaborate with here, and she says, “Obviously, Rahman sir and Anirudh. Sai Abhyankkar is doing a lot of good work, too. Also, Ilaiyaraaja sir, because he’s a legend.” And about her favourite AR Rahman song, she says, “There’s nothing called a favourite Rahman song.

Every song of his is my favourite. But if I had to name a song, I’d say Agar Tum Saath Ho and Moongil Thottam .”