Saiyaara title track helped Tanishk Bagchi break his remake image: 'Now people know Tanishk originals ka bhi baap hai’

Music composer Tanishk Bagchi says Saiyaara's title track broke his remake image, brought him peace, and proved soulful songs still connect—globally and deeply.

Music composer Tanishk Bagchi has delivered some of Bollywood’s biggest hits over the last few years—but his success has often been shadowed by criticism for leaning heavily on recreations. With Saiyaara, however, the composer feels he’s finally found vindication—and peace. The soulful title track from Mohit Suri’s recently released romantic drama has not only struck a chord with listeners but also shattered streaming records, becoming the first-ever Bollywood song to break into Spotify’s Global Top 5.

Tanishk Bagchi has composed the title track of Saiyaara

“People used to say that I only recreated songs. But they didn’t know that I have composed a number of good original songs, as well . “Par ab Saiyaara se logo ko pata chal raha hai ki Tanishk Bagchi original mein bhi baap hai (People are finally realising that I’m a master at originals too). I’m really loving it all. I’ve received a lot of encouragement,” he says adding that the song's success has also helped him come over a lean period, mentally, as well.

"I was not in the right mental shape for almost two years now because of all these things. Somewhere the trolls did affect me no matter how hard I tried to stay away from them. My mind was troubled for a long time. But now, thanks to Saiyaara, all that has changed. I’m very happy and mentally at peace,” adds Tanishk.

The 44-year-old reveals he always had a gut feeling about Saiyaara's success. “Honestly, with every movie I’ve done till now, I’ve never thought about making a hit. But I had a belief with Saiyaara that it will be big. Despite the fact that it had new stars, I always had the hope—yeh fatega (this one will explode).”

What makes the success sweeter, he says, is that the song didn’t rely on gimmicks or trends. “People want instant hits, there’s pressure to create 15-second, 30-second viral hits—aura farming chal raha hai (people are farming for quick hype). But they forget that it can’t sustain for long,” he says.

“Songs like Saiyaara, Tu Hai Toh Main Hoon (Sky Force), Raataan Lambiyan (Shershaah)—they end up becoming timeless, just like RD Burman songs. If a track has soul and emotion, it’ll work, no matter how long it is,” adds Tanishk.

“People say it's working only in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, but that’s not true. Even in metro cities, people are listening to the song on loop and loving it. This proves that if the song connects, it doesn’t matter where it’s from,” he says further.

The song’s journey, as Tanishk shares, began when its singer-composers Arsalan Nizami and Faheem Abdullah created the original melody and lyrics under the working title Saiyaan Mera. “Then I took the song and worked on it further. That version was the first to be pitched to Mohit sir,” Tanishk shares, adding that he always envisioned its original creators as the voices behind the song, instead of popular playback singers.

“Getting big singers is very tough these days. We keep running behind them like beggars and dogs, but no one cares,” he says candidly. “So I decided I’ll go with a new voice—someone whose texture matched my music and complemented the lyrics. And Faheem and Arsalan were perfect for it, because it was their song, and the understood it perfectly,” he adds.

Working with director Mohit Suri, Tanishk adds, was a creative high point. “I haven’t worked with Mohit sir a lot, but I love that he treats musicians on par with the actors. That’s a big deal.”

For Tanishk, Saiyaara isn’t just a chartbuster—it’s a personal and professional milestone. “I don’t bother about numbers. I just want to make a song that satisfies me, that fits the film. Otherwise, there’s no value. I used to listen to Saiyaara in my car, on the highway. And I thought, if I’m enjoying it this much, the world will too,” he says.

Turns out, he was right.