Bandish Bandits- Artistic Delight

BY Sugandha Gopal (Boston)

Bandish Bandits, a web series based on classical music for the first time, was released on August 04, 2020. Within a week of its release it become a rage. It is impossible to navigate the social media or any other internet portal without encountering a reference to it. Bandish Bandits came as a breeze during pandemic with Indian classical music as the backdrop. In times of instant gratification and short cuts to success, it stresses on the importance of intense hard work and unwavering dedication to achieve perfection. The message to the youth is loud and clear- strive to gain competence and not success, success will follow eventually.

For long the viewer’s have been dished out some crappy family drama on the pretext that this is what sells. Audience is intelligent and can appreciate good work. Big congrats to Anand Tiwari and the entire team. Bandish Bandits boasts of Naseeruddin Shah and Atul Kulkarni, with such titans the show cannot be anything but spectacular. The scenes between these two great actors has so many layers, and looks like they enjoying being pitted against each other, that they finally got their match in each other. Sheeba Chaddha, is remarkable and speaks a lot through her eyes, she needs no words and portrays every emotion beautifully. Shreya Chaudhary and Ritwik Bowmik have done a great job as the young couple in love but on different paths in life. Amit Mistry and Rajesh Tailang have done a super job as the suppressed but ever faithful sons of Panditji. The rest of the cast has done a beautiful job too.

The music composed by Shankar-Ehsaan- Loy is the most important part of the show. The music is what has taken Bandish Bandits to a whole new level. ‘Virah’ sung by Shankar Mahadevan is beyond words, it is as if the pain and longing has been made in to potion and Shankar Mahadevan just drank it before singing. It is beyond doubt the best composition of the present times. Atul Kulkarni brings that pain and longing on screen with equal authenticity. When Atul Kulkarni, as Digvijay Singh, sings ‘Virah’, it is as if each living cell of the him is mourning the loss of his love. You would want to sit and mourn with him. Other compositions like Javed Ali’s ‘Labb Par Aaye’, Shankar Mahadevan’s ‘Padharo Maare Des’, Javed Ali and Pt Ajoy Chakraborty’s ‘Garaj GA raj’ are a musical gift to the masses.

The wait for Season 2 has already begun. The expectations are high and it is critical that quality and content should not be compromised. One thing that most people do not want to see in the next season is the use of profane language in the garb of modernity. The whole family should be able to watch it together. There is a lot of learning about classical music, discipline, respect that can inspire growing children.

Big Congrats to the entire team of Bandish Bandits!