Stree 2's Aaj Ki Raat singer Madhubanti Bagchi: The song’s success has opened up avenues for me
The singer of Stree 2's Aaj Ki Raat says the song's success “has given composers faith that a new voice can also deliver a superhit song”
She’s spent over a decade in the Indian music industry and over five years in Bollywood, but a song that has put Madhubanti Bagchi on the map is Aaj Ki Raat, the recent chart-topper from Stree 2. The singer feels she has finally got her due: “It (the success of the track) has opened up a lot more avenues in the music industry for me and has also given composers the faith that even a new voice can deliver a superhit song. I can’t thank the audience enough.”
Does she feel the number’s success has cemented her place in Bollywood? “The Hindi film industry is ever-changing, so no one can really tell if their position is cemented or not,” she replies, adding, “But the success has motivated me to work harder. There are many offers in the pipeline now.”
While most item numbers these days are high on objectification of women, Bagchi says her song is different. Featuring actor Tamannaah Bhatia, the Sachin-Jigar composition has earned praise for its lyrics, penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya. “In today’s times, it is very important to have a good melody and equally good words to support that melody. Instead of objectifying women, Aaj Ki Raat talks more about creating a respectable boundary between lovers,” says Bagchi, who is “composing a lot of songs now for my non-film work”.
