Bandish Bandits

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Bandish Bandits
File:Bandish Bandits poster.jpg
Promotional poster
GenreRomance
Drama
Musical
Created by
Screenplay byAmritpal Singh Bindra
Story by
  • Amritpal Singh Bindra
  • Lara Chandni
  • Anand Tiwari
Directed byAnand Tiwari
Starring
Music byShankar–Ehsaan–Loy[1]
Country of originIndia
Original languageHindi
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerPranati Nagarsheth
CinematographySriram Ganapathy
EditorAjay Sharma
Running time33-50 mins
Production companyStill and Still Moving Pictures
Release
Original networkAmazon Prime Video
Original release4 August 2020 (2020-08-04) –
present
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Bandish Bandits is an Indian musical romantic drama streaming television series on Amazon Prime Video created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari, produced by Still & Still Moving Pictures and directed by Anand Tiwari.[2][3] The script was written by Bindra, Tiwari and Lara Chandni. The series feature debutants Ritwik Bhowmik as Radhe Rathod, a Hindustani Classical musician and Shreya Chaudhary as Tamanna Sharma, a pop singer, who hail from different worlds of music. Exploring the debate of music being a discipline versus a means of liberation. The series also features Naseeruddin Shah, Sheeba Chaddha and Atul Kulkarni.

The series officially announced in February 2019, and principal shoot took place across Jodhpur and Bikaner in Rajasthan. The film's soundtrack album and background score is composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, in their maiden attempt in scoring music for web series, and the soundtrack album received positive reviews from critics.[4]

Bandish Bandits released on 4 August 2020, through Amazon Prime Video. The series received positive response from critics and audiences, praising the performances of the cast, writing and direction, songs and background score.[5] It was listed by critics as one of the best Indian television shows of 2020.[6] The series was nominated for seven Filmfare OTT Awards including, Best Supporting Actor for Shah, Best Supporting Actress for Chaddha and Best Original Story and Best Screenplay.[7][8] In September 2020, it was officially renewed for a second season.[9] On 23 December 2022 Amazon Prime Video tweeted that the production of second season has begun.[10] On May 19, 2023, Ritwik Bhowmik posted on his Instagram story (where he tagged Anand Tiwari) that they were in the "last few days" of production. Since then, Ritwik Bhowmik has posted on his Instagram story that Season 2 is "imminent."

Premise[edit]

Classical music student Radhe and pop sensation Tamanna, coming from very different worlds of music, set out together on a journey of self-discovery to see if opposites, though they might attract, can also adapt and go the long haul.[11]

Cast[edit]

Episodes[edit]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [13]
1"Blue Bandit"Anand Tiwari[13]Amritpal Singh Bindra[13]4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe, a music prodigy in the classical tradition, meets Tammanah, a viral pop YouTube sensation who comes from a world dramatically opposite to his.
2"Shuddhikaran"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe's interaction with Tammanah jeopardises his musical dream, so he has to prove himself to his mentor and grandfather, Panditji.
3"Roleplay"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe begins to sing with Tammanah for financial reasons, but love and attraction grow between the young couple as they work on their first song together.
4"Phas Gaye"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Personal and musical stress starts to show as Radhe juggles the simultaneous demands of Tammanah and Panditji.
5"Masked Man"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe gets a shocking glimpse into the inner life of Panditji, even as he struggles to navigate a tense music videoshoot with Tammanah.
6"A Star is Born"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe starts training under Panditji to sing against his estranged uncle Digvijay, while his first song with Tammanah releases and is an instant hit.
7"#CoupleGoals"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe takes on new gigs to repay his father Rajendra's loan, which puts a strain on his increasing fraud relationships with Tammanah and Panditji.
8"Bandish Bandits"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe teaches Tammanah to sing live for a last shot at her dream of collaborating with an international pop star, while his own training with Panditji receives an enormous setback.
9"A Separation"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Radhe is utterly broken and on the verge of giving up as he loses both Tammanah and Panditji, but his mother Mohini rises to save the day.
10"Sangeet Samrat"Anand TiwariAmritpal Singh Bindra4 August 2020 (2020-08-04)
Joy, sorrow and adrenaline charge through the final episode as Radhe and Digvijay sing off against each other in a fierce battle for the Rathod family's musical future.

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

On 14 February 2019, Vijay Subramaniam, chief director and head of content of Amazon Prime Video India,[14] announced the release of six Indian originals, at the Television Critics Association's press tour held in Los Angeles, California.[15] It was produced by Still and Still Moving Pictures, with the series created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari, who previously collabrated for Netflix film Love per Square Foot (2018), while Tiwari helmed the series.[16] Bindra eventually stated that "The show is a millennial love story set against the backdrop of a clash between pop and Hindustani classical music. Based in Jodhpur, it explores the central theme of whether music is discipline or is it liberation."[17] On 18 February 2019, the makers announced that Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, will compose music for the series, making their debut on a digital platform.[18][19]

Characters[edit]

To play the lead characters Radhe and Tamanna, the makers hired debutants Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhary. Shreya, opened up about what drew her to the script stating, "The script chose me. I was immediately sold when I came to know about the director and the cast. And things got even better when I read it. Tamannah is very different from Shreya, so that was exciting. Moreover, this is a romantic show woven around music and that aspect was very fresh for me."[20] Ritwik eventually took no time to give his nod to the project, after revealing details about the director and cast.[20] He further stated "There were 10 blueprints that I had to go through in order to get Radhe right. It took time to understand him as he is very far off from who I am in my life. It is about relationship dynamics, art versus exhibitionism, mediocrity versus genius among other things."[20] The two actors were trained under musician Akshit Parikh, who also made a cameo in the series.[21][22]

Filming[edit]

Principal Photography began in December 2018. The series were primarily shot in Jodhpur and Bikaner in Rajasthan. From its very first episode, the series had captured several traditional Rajasthani elements which include traditional paintings, couches, walls, huts and palaces.[23] The makers shot few scenes at the Lakshmi Vilas Palace located in Rajasthan, and some of the scenes were shot at the deserts located in Bikaner district.[24] In an interview with a media portal, actor Ritwik Bhowmik described his experience at the desserts of Bikaner. Bhowmik said that the team filmed one of the ragas in the Bikaner desert during the peak of summer. However, when the team was shooting the raga, it started to rain. Bhowmik said that this was "one of the most divine and magical experiences of his life". Shooting wrapped up in June 2019.[citation needed]

Soundtrack[edit]

Bandish Bandits
Soundtrack album by
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Released27 July 2020[25]
Recorded2019
GenreAmazon Original Series Soundtrack
Length35:11
LanguageHindi
LabelAmazon Music
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy chronology
Panga
(2020) 		Bandish Bandits
(2020) 		Bunty Aur Babli 2
(2021)
External audio
Official Audio Jukebox at YouTube

The music for Bandish Bandits was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, in their debut composition for web series. On their inclusion, the composers stated that the background score will work in tandem to the story-line and building the scenes, the songs in this series form a part of the core narrative.[26] The 11-song soundtrack album features lyrics by Divyanshu Malhotra, Tanishk S Nabar, Sameer Samant and also consists traditional verses. The soundtrack album was released on 27 July 2020,[27] and received positive response from critics.[4] Devarsi Ghosh of Scroll.in opined that "The blend of easy-listening pop and soaring semi-classical tunes brings to mind the trio's vast body of work".[28] Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion praised the album as a "magnificent east-meets-west soundtrack".[29] Karthik Srinivasan of Milliblog hailed as "one of the best soundtracks in Hindi in recent times".[30] Vipin Nair of Music Aloud reviewed as "a solid piece of work, despite noty being an extraordinary work by the trio (Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa), when it comes to classical fusion".[31]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Sajan Bin"Divyanshu MalhotraShivam Mahadevan, Jonita Gandhi3:14
2."Chedkhaniyaan"Tanishk S NabarShivam Mahadevan, Pratibha Singh Baghel3:18
3."Couple Goals"Tanishk S NabarArmaan Malik, Jonita Gandhi2:36
4."Labb Par Aaye"Sameer SamantJaved Ali3:47
5."Virah"Sameer SamantShankar Mahadevan3:00
6."Dhara Hogi"Sameer SamantShankar Mahadevan4:21
7."Garaj Garaj Jugalbandi"Sameer SamantFarid Hasan, Mohammed Aman5:30
8."Mastiyaapa"Tanishk S NabarJonita Gandhi3:22
9."Garaj Garaj"Sameer SamantPandit Ajoy Chakraborty2:38
10."Padharo Maare Des"TraditionalShankar Mahadevan2:20
11."Bandish Bandits Theme"TraditionalShankar Mahadevan, Mame Khan, Ravi Mishra1:05
12."Lat Uljhi Suljha Baalama"TraditionalShreeya Sondur1:55
Total length:35:11

Release[edit]

On 15 July 2019, Amazon Prime Video announced the series officially,[32] with a first look and teaser being released to coincide the Prime Day celebrations.[33] The series was initially scheduled to release in the last quarter of 2019.[34] However, the series was scheduled for a release date in late 2020.[35] On 13 July 2020, the makers unveiled the first look motion poster of the series,[36] followed by the teaser on 16 July,[37] and the trailer on 20 July.[38][39] As a part of the promotional strategy, the makers hosted a virtual music concert on 3 August 2020,[40] with Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Prateek Kuhad, Lisa Mishra, Armaan Malik, Jonita Gandhi and Mame Khan, giving live performances.[41] The series premiered on 4 August 2020 on Amazon Prime Video.[42] On 11 December 2020, the makers released the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions of the series.[43]

Reception[edit]

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express reviewed "The conversation around the need to revive interest in classical music, and the fact that there doesn't need to be a rift between the classical and the popular, needs to be on-going. Despite its flaws, Bandish Bandits keeps up focus on this crucial theme."[44] Nandini Ramanath of Scroll.in reviewed "One thing which is missing from the mix is a reflection of the audience base for classical music that allows performers to maintain tradition, pursue long careers, and become stars in their own right. An understanding of the ability of classical musicians to successfully renegotiate the boundaries of form and performance on their own terms is also absent."[45] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave three out of five stars and reviewed "Watch Bandish Bandits for the music and the actors: they soar even when the show doesn't."[46]

Pratishruti Ganguly of Firstpost gave three out of five stating "What Bandish Bandits fails to do, is meld its musical largesse with the narrative scope of the show. Predictably, the length of the show (10 episodes, each over 40 minutes) demands a complex storyline that slowly builds its dramatic tension to climax to a rousing crescendo."[47] Saraswati Datar of The News Minute stated "It's no masterpiece but watch Bandish Bandits for the lovely music that we will not get to hear on any other show, and for some its fabulous actors who quite like the music only get seen on web series like these."[48]

In contrast Mini Anthikkad Chibber of The Hindu reviewed "Bandish Bandits would have scraped through as a 90-minute vanilla rom-com. Padding up that wafer-thin story with inanities and songs is a terrible test of the viewer's patience."[49] Rahul Desai of Film Companion reviewed "There are several problems with Bandish Bandits, but purely on a storytelling level, the writing suffers from attention deficit disorder."[50]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy to make digital debut with 'Bandish Bandits', a musical romance". The Hindu. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. ↑ "Amazon Prime announces new Indian original series Bandish Bandits, featuring soundtrack by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy". Hindustan Times. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  3. ↑ Rawat, Kshitij (13 July 2020). "Amazon Prime Video series Bandish Bandits to stream from August 4". The Indian Express. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ghosh, Devarsi. "2020 yearender: More originals and fewer remixes in films and web series". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  5. ↑ Hooli, Shekhar H. (4 August 2020). "Bandish Bandits review and rating: This is how viewers react to Ritwik-Shreya web series". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "Pushpavalli season 2, Aarya, Bandish Bandits, Asur, Paatal Lok: 20 best Indian streaming shows of 2020". Firstpost. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "My Glamm Filmfare OTT Awards 2021 - Nominations". FilmFare. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "Scam 1992 leads nominations for Filmfare OTT Awards 2021". The Indian Express. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  9. ↑ "Amazon Prime Video series 'Bandish Bandits' creators 'intend' to make season two". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "Amazon Prime Video India tweets about the production of second season". Twitter prime video IN.
  11. ↑ "'Bandish Bandits' First Look: Ritwik Bhowmik-Shreya Chaudhry's web series backed by Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni". Dna India. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  12. ↑ India-West, R. M. VIJAYAKAR/Special to. "Music Video 'Chedkhaniyaan' from 'Bandish Bandits' Will Fill You With Warmth". India West. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Bandish Bandits – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  14. ↑ "Amazon Prime announces 20 new shows, including 6 Indian series from Anushka Sharma, Ali Abbas Zafar". Hindustan Times. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Amazon Prime Video Announces 7 New, Returning Series From India". NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  16. ↑ "Amazon Prime Video greenlits new original series 'Bandish Bandits'". Outlook India. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "Amazon Prime Video greenlits new original series 'Bandish Bandits'". Business Standard India. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Amazon Prime Video announces web series 'Bandish Bandits' with music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  19. ↑ "Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy to Score Amazon's Musical Series Bandish Bandits". NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Bandish Bandits is about art vs exhibitionism: Ritwik Bhowmik". The Indian Express. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  21. ↑ "Akshat Parikh is the man who trained the cast of Bandish Bandits including Naseeruddin Shah and Atul Kulkarni". www.indulgexpress.com. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  22. ↑ Pandita, Nirtika (2 September 2020). "Music supervisor Akshat Parikh shares his experience of working on Bandish Bandits". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  23. ↑ "Bandish Bandits". DNA India. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  24. ↑ Ghosh, Devarsi. "In web series 'Bandish Bandits', a conversation about updating Indian classical music". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  25. ↑ "Bandish Bandits (Music from the Prime Original Series)". Amazon Music. 27 July 2020.
  26. ↑ "Indian classical music should reach a bigger audience, says Shankar Mahadevan". The Indian Express. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  27. ↑ Bandish Bandits – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Shivam Mahadevan, Jonita Gandhi – Download or Listen Free – JioSaavn, 27 July 2020, retrieved 23 January 2021
  28. ↑ Ghosh, Devarsi. "'Bandish Bandits' music review: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy album is a crisp blend of pop and classical". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  29. ↑ Rangan, Baradwaj (3 August 2020). "The Music Of Bandish Bandits On Amazon Prime Video: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Go All Out In A Magnificent East-Meets-West Soundtrack". Film Companion. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  30. ↑ "Bandish Bandits (Music review), Hindi – Shankar Ehsaan Loy by Milliblog!". 27 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  31. ↑ "Bandish Bandits – Music Review (Hindi Web Series Soundtrack)". Music Aloud. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  32. ↑ "Amazon Prime India releases first look of Breathe 2, Inside Edge 2 and other originals". India Today. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  33. ↑ "Watch: On Amazon Prime Day, streaming service releases slate, from Inside Edge season 2 to Bandish Bandits". Firstpost. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  34. ↑ "Here's Your First Look at 5 Upcoming Prime Video Series From India". NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  35. ↑ "Inside Edge Season 3 a Go as Amazon Announces 2 More Indian Shows". NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  36. ↑ Keshri, Shweta (13 July 2020). "Amazon Prime Video shares motion poster of Bandish Bandits. Series to premiere on August 4". India Today. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  37. ↑ "Bandish Bandits teaser: Amazon brings a jugalbandi of music and love. Trailer out on Monday". Hindustan Times. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  38. ↑ "Bandish Bandits trailer: When musical opposites attract". The Indian Express. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  39. ↑ "Bandish Bandits trailer: Tradition plays spoilsport in this duet between music and love, watch video". Hindustan Times. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  40. ↑ "Amazon announces 'Bandish Bandits' concert". The Week. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  41. ↑ "Bandish Bandits concert: Shankar Mahadevan, Prateek Kuhad set mood for monsoon with powerful performances". Hindustan Times. 3 August 2020. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  42. ↑ Komoi (13 July 2020). "Bandish Bandits: Here's The Release Date Of Amazon Prime Video's Upcoming Romantic Musical Drama". Koimoi. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  43. ↑ "Amazon Prime Video to launch original content in Tamil, Telugu". www.businesstoday.in. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  44. ↑ "Bandish Bandits review: Naseeruddin Shah towers over web series". The Indian Express. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  45. ↑ Ramnath, Nandini. "'Bandish Bandits' review: Musical battles rages in web series about a gharana and a house divided". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  46. ↑ "Bandish Bandits Review: Naseeruddin Shah-Led Cast Soars Even When Show Doesn't". NDTV.com. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  47. ↑ "Bandish Bandits review: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's brilliant soundtrack anchors Amazon Prime Video's romantic musical". Firstpost. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  48. ↑ "'Bandish Bandits' review: The real star of this series is the music". The News Minute. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  49. ↑ Chhibber, Mini Anthikad (6 August 2020). "'Bandish Bandits' review: A vanilla offering that barely passes muster". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  50. ↑ Desai, Rahul (4 August 2020). "Bandish Bandits On Amazon Prime Video Is A Bloated, Confused Mess of a Musical". Film Companion. Retrieved 23 January 2021.

External links[edit]

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