In The Hollywood Reporter India’s Musicians Roundtable 2025, editor Anupama Chopra brings together five of Indian music’s most compelling voices for an intimate conversation about creativity, success, and the soul of songwriting. Lyricist Irshad Kamil, the poet behind Rockstar and Saiyaara, reflects on the pressure of writing for multiple stakeholders while staying true to his craft. Kashmiri singer-songwriter Faheem Abdullah opens up about his meteoric rise from anonymity to becoming the voice of the year’s biggest romantic hit. Film composer Jakes Bejoy discusses his terrain-based approach to scoring, from Lokah’s 2,000-year-old protagonist to the tribal sounds of his Malayalam projects.
Singer and actress Shruti Haasan speaks candidly about the algorithm’s stranglehold on artists and her refusal to become a “circus animal” dancing on reels, while playback singer Madhubanti Bagchi shares how extreme success left her feeling out of place and needing a year to mentally adjust to sudden fame. The conversation traverses the blurred lines between film and independent music, the irreplaceable rush of live performance, and what it truly means to measure success in an era of streaming numbers and viral trends. From Irshad’s revelation that his greatest joy comes when strangers unknowingly sing his lyrics, to Faheem’s emotional journey watching Saiyaara in Kashmir with tears in his eyes, to Jakes crediting divine inspiration for his compositions—this roundtable captures five artists at the peak of their powers, vulnerably discussing the craft that defines them.
00:00 Introduction to the music roundtable
03:15 Does great art require heartbreak
13:24 Navigating reels and algorithm pressure
20:24 Measuring success beyond streaming numbers
32:38 Pre-performance rituals and stage preparation
36:37 Independent versus film music today
47:15 Creating distinct musical personalities
50:48 Finding inspiration when creativity stalls
59:40 Films that brought joy this year
01:04:50 Handling sudden fame and celebrity status
01:13:32 Favorite songs discovered this year
01:22:00 Live performances close the roundtable
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Must include Shashwat Sachdev music director of durandhar❤
Aah such a lovely Roundtable this was ! Musical people are always so culturally rich ❤️ no unnecessary show off, no interruptions to show false-unwanted upmanship… it was throughly enjoyable 👏 also, someone pls tell Anupama mam that she has such a brilliant earring collection- oh my god I can’t take my eyes off from all her dainty earrings that she dons in all her intvs 😆😬❤️ – compliment from one earring lover to the other 😁😆
I want jakes and sruthi collaboration and i want madhubanthi in a malayalam movies she’s talented
Faheem Abdullah looks so grounded despite a huge success.
What a beautiful people….
Beautiful conversation ❤
Madhubanti and her answers are so to the point, smart, and relevant! Truly amazing to see a true artist getting the credit she deserves ❤
Should have brought Thaman as well!
Sashwat Sachdeva deserved to be on the panel too !
As you said from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, I vouch for the inclusion of North-eastern artists. They’ve some serious talents over there. As a Keralite, I understand how exclusion feels like. We were also kept away from the limelight for a very long period.
I was here for Jakes, but Madhubanti stole the show. ❤️