Bandish Bandits

Bandish Bandits is an Indian Hindi-language musical drama web series created and directed by Anand Tiwari for the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video. The series explores the intersection of Indian classical music and contemporary pop, set primarily against the cultural backdrop of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Its first season premiered on 4 August 2020, and a second season followed in 2024.

Overview

The series centres on the clash and confluence of two musical worlds: the disciplined gharana tradition of Hindustani classical music, represented by the fictional Rathod family of Jodhpur, and the freewheeling world of digital-age pop. The narrative uses this contrast to examine themes of legacy, ambition, generational conflict, gender within classical traditions, and the commercial pressures shaping contemporary Indian music.

Cast

• Ritwik Bhowmik as Radhe Rathod, a young classical vocalist groomed to be the heir of the Rathod gharana.
• Shreya Chaudhry as Tamanna Sharma, a pop singer aspiring to internet fame.
• Naseeruddin Shah as Pandit Radhemohan Rathod, the patriarch and the gharana's reigning maestro.
• Atul Kulkarni as Rajendra Rathod, Radhe's father.
• Sheeba Chaddha as Mohini Rathod.
• Rajesh Tailang in a supporting role.
• Kunaal Roy Kapur in a supporting role.
• Amit Mistry in a recurring role (Season 1).

The second season introduced new cast members including Divya Dutta and Rohan Gurbaxani.

Music

The soundtrack was composed by the trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with classical compositions and arrangements drawing on traditional Hindustani idioms alongside contemporary pop and fusion pieces. Playback was rendered by a range of vocalists, including Shankar Mahadevan, Mahesh Kale, Javed Ali, Armaan Malik, Jonita Gandhi, and others. The album received wide attention for blending raga-based bandishes with mainstream film-style songwriting, and is considered one of the most musically ambitious Indian web series soundtracks.

Production

The show was produced under the banner Still and Still Media Collective, founded by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari. Writing credits include Anand Tiwari, Atmika Didwania, Amritpal Singh Bindra, Lara Chandni, and Akarsh Khurana, among others. Filming for the first season took place largely in Jodhpur, with the city's havelis, palaces, and old quarters used as principal locations. The classical training of the lead actors and on-screen riyaaz sequences were prepared in consultation with classical musicians.

Reception

Bandish Bandits was widely praised on release for its music, performances, and production design, and is regarded as one of the early high-profile musical dramas on Indian streaming platforms. Critics highlighted Naseeruddin Shah's performance as the gharana patriarch and the soundtrack by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. Reviewers also drew attention to the show's effort to depict the rigour and lineage culture of Hindustani classical music to a streaming audience unfamiliar with it.

Season 2

A second season was confirmed by Amazon Prime Video and released in 2024, again directed by Anand Tiwari with Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy returning as composers. The new season expanded the storyline beyond Jodhpur and introduced a new musical rivalry while continuing the arcs of Radhe and Tamanna.

Significance

The series is notable for placing Hindustani classical music at the heart of a mainstream Indian streaming drama at a time when web content was largely dominated by crime and political thrillers. By foregrounding gharana traditions, riyaaz, and the social structures around classical performance, it contributed to broader popular interest in Indian classical music among younger audiences. Its soundtrack also marked a significant streaming-era project for the composer trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, who are otherwise primarily associated with Hindi cinema.

Related topics

• Hindustani classical music
• Gharana
• Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
• Naseeruddin Shah
• Amazon Prime Video India
• Jodhpur
• Indian web series
• Anand Tiwari