April 2025: Your parents are your first fans, they always wish well for you: Tanishk Bagchi

Tanishk Bagchi is an ethereal artist. Having done some of the most memorable songs like ‘Banno’, ‘Bolna’, ‘Akh Lad Jaave’, ‘Morni Banke’, ‘Raataan Lambiyan’ and more, he recently did the album for the movie Sky Force. With rave reviews and with more coming from his store this, it was time to chat with him to explore his journey, thoughts, future forward plans and more. Read more on what he has to say:

From Banno to now, how do you look back at your journey in a typically commercial music industry?

⁠The journey has been a combination of highs and lows. After ‘Banno’, it took another year to get the next film. In our industry, every time you have to start from the scratch, which makes the journey a continuous learning process. It also helps you become better at your craft. Even if one has connections or the network so to say, it is always about the quality of work that one does, which gets him or her the next project.

Since the release of ‘Humma Humma’, you have become one of the go to persons for recreations. What makes recreations attractive for you?

I had never imagined myself making recreations to begin with. There was a time when remixes were in vogue, like that of Kaanta Laga, Mere Naseeb Mein, Keh Doon Tumhe, etc. It was when DJs used to make a few beats and infuse them at the back of a song and a remix was born. When I heard a few remixes for ‘Humma Humma’, I felt that the song needs a better treatment, also considering that A R Rahman Sir has been an inspirational figure for me. When this song came to me, I picked it up, to make it come back at clubs without spoiling the original flavour of the song. And after ’Humma Humma’ worked, more recreations came my way. I started getting known for recreations, it gave me work when I needed it and possibly, because of the hard work put in, we saw good success with these songs.

⁠Tell us about the Sky Force album, how did it happen?

Sky Force is the first movie where the full album has been done by me. I have done a lot of film music; however, it has largely been about a few songs from the whole album. Dinesh Vijan, one day, came up and said that he thinks I should do a full album for the movie. Sky Force, from Maddock Films, came up and rest is history.

Tell us about the making of ‘Tu Hai To Main Hoon’ from Sky Force album

The line ‘Tu Hai To Main Hoon’ came from Dinesh himself. We got the lyrics done first by Irshad Kamil; this was the first song we did for Sky Force. I sat down with my guitar and the composition came to me on its own. The process was quite experiential, and the song got made. I am happy with the kind of love it has got from the listeners.

Watch ‘Tu Hai To Main Hoon’ here:

Which artists/collaborations have been some of the most memorable ones?

For me, Jubin would be one of the best artists to have worked it. From our days of struggle, we had immense belief in each other. Then, of course, there is Arijit Singh who is very easy to work with. He understands the emotions of the song, goes through the lyrics, takes his time and does what he does best then with his vocals.

Beyond Bollywood, what kind of work keeps you engaged?

Recently, I have formed a new duo called Tangan Tribe, comprising of myself and Ganesh Waghela. We got signed by Ultra Records in the US, one of the biggest labels around. I have collaborated with Duncan Lawrence last year, working on few collaborations this year. I did a Bengali French song with Kikimotabela, which should be out soon through Kinetic Records. This will be the first Bengali Afro song to go international. I am doing a Bengali film and looking to explore other forms of music this year.

Stream ‘Feel Your Love’ by Duncan Laurence and Tangan Tribe here:

Your take on producers Rights?

Every musician that is engaged in creating a song, like a flautist, guitarist, pianist, has a right to the piece of music he or she is creating. This system of rights doesn’t still exist in India. Likewise, producers should also have their rights protected. The financial support that they will be able to get if their rights are protected, will help the overall ecosystem. This system works well in the West, we will, hopefully, reach there too.

⁠⁠Your thoughts on Artificial Intelligence and its impact, as a producer?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a wonderful thing that has happened. I have seen the evolution of tech in the field of music. AI is another tech development which will be of great help, depending on how you want to use it. I have adopted AI in the technical aspect of my work already and I can see the advantages.

Artistic independence vs Commercial viability, how should an artist strike a balance between being successful at both?

Success nowadays has become a perception. Becoming a Star is becoming a priority in the current times over becoming an unmatchable talent. This is one of the reasons why we don’t see the longevity we saw with the artists like Kishore Kumar, Mohd. Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Kumar Sanu, A R Rahaman and more. To me, having a couple of songs charting at the top of Spotify is not success. Artists like A R Rahman, Pritam, are successful in the current age as they are not running after the fame, chart positions, etc. That to me is success in its truest form.

What do relationships mean to you?

Relationships are very important to me; they give me strength and hope. More than any other relationship, it’s the relationship with my mother that is very important to me. I lost my father two years back. I had to stay away from my parents for 20 years for my career in music, so I missed out on a lot of time with them. Your parents are your first fans, they always wish well for you. I always take inspiration from my mother and father, that’s what keeps me driving ahead in life. This is one relationship that I value the most!

What is the role of your roots in your life?

Bengali music has always been a part of my life. My mother is a Punjabi, and my father was a Bengali, so I have been brought up with these two vibrant cultures. As a Bengali, you have to learn Rabindra Sangeet, you have to play football, explore painting, literature, etc. It is very much a cultural thing which shapes you in many ways. My parents have been my teachers in music, all I am doing right now is because of their education to me. They have ingrained the value of staying grounded despite success, keep learning and do good work as I keep moving forward.

What changes you see in the music industry in the recent years?

In the last few years, independent music has come back, this is a good sign. You need young musicians to come up with their own sound without any kinds of boundaries put to them. However, I feel that the music is not getting explored as much as it should be, there is a marked similarity in the independent music coming out in the recent times. I also feel that these are initial few years, and it will get more experimental as we go ahead.

Well, a meaningful and successful life mantra does revolve around long term recognition and happiness with your loved ones. Seems that Tanishk Bagchi has found both and it does reflect in his work, demeanour, clarity and his infectious smile. We look forward to hearing more from him, especially on his plans with Tangan Tribe and his plans for live music. But for now, re-read this article with a slice of his music, I am sure you will find more than what is written in the words that have been spoke.

Article by Vishwa Deepak Dikshit

Photo Credit: Aishwaryaa Nayak