Tanishk Bagchi on roping in Pitbull for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: 'Needed someone who would take control of the song'

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

The introduction of the south African music genre Amapiano into the title track of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 may seem like an easy means to attract an unassuming Indian listener. However, composer Tanishk Bagchi asserts the move serves a different purpose. In "introducing new sounds to Indian listeners", and roping in international artistes while he does so, he hopes to open doors for western music aficionados to sample desi tunes too.

"We are waiting for [music from India] to reach a global audience," he says when highlighting why he chooses to create fusion tracks for film music. In this interview, Bagchi discusses choosing international R&B icon Pitbull, with hits like Hey baby, Hotel room service, and International love to his credit, to render the title track of the Kartik Aaryan-starrer, which also features vocals by Diljit Dosanjh.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

How did you manage to get Pitbull to work on this song with the team?
We arrived at the idea of collaborating with [an international artiste]. I first worked on completing the track, and got Diljit [to render his sections]. We had sent out a collaboration request to many people and were trying to understand which artiste's voice would match the song.

The reason we chose Pitbull is that he has been associated with dance [music], and his rap rules the club. His voice is powerful and has a lot of presence. For India, and for this song, I needed someone like that. I didn't want a simple rapper who would come in [do his thing], and leave. I wanted somebody who could take control of the song, because [it has been intricately] programmed. We needed someone with his tonal quality.

You've also introduced this audience to a new genre with Amapiano. How did that come about?
When I got the opportunity to create the title track for part three, it was tough. How can one recreate a recreation? But, I looked at it as a challenge. Every year, the sounds that are popular in the market, change. My vision is to bring new sounds to Bollywood, just like I did with Afro, which I used for Dance meri rani. Amapiano is a dance version of Afro. The song has different parts - it starts with a different beat, moves into a section with Afro influences, and then [features] Amapiano. Fusions make a song groovy. I know a song like this one will definitely be a rage.

Given that the music of this franchise has a lot of Indian influences, why did you believe the introduction of a western sound would be needed?
All the songs that I have done have had Indian elements. In this one, I used the dholak to add a distinct groove. Belonging to India, I want to ascertain that I also introduce Indian sounds to the global market. Take the example of Hanumankind. He is from here, but his music earns appreciation overseas too. Every country has its own distinct sound. Afro is from Africa, but it is ruling the charts abroad. As Indians, we are still waiting for something [from here] to reach that space. International artistes know that the Indian market has a lot of talent, and a lot of our music remains undiscovered. That's why they are interested in working here. At the same time, we believe collaborations like these give us an edge - it makes the song hybrid, and hopefully accessible to the global market. It's a window for us all. We get a chance to be in the global charts.

As someone who has previously been criticised for the musician who recreated old tracks, you've come a long way to gain the acceptance and love that you now have. How do you look back at this change?
I'm looking at [the journey] as a process. Whatever comes my way, I do it, and I do it swiftly. I don't think about the pros and cons. I'm clear about one thing - if I'm offered a recreation project, I'll put as much effort as I would on an original song. When I'm doing an original number, I will try to make it better than my last one.