The independent music scene has been booming with raw, authentic talent and leading that charge with a distinct, contemporary sound is Ayaan Agnihotri. Known to his fans simply as Agni, the singer-songwriter has built a loyal following with tracks like You Are Mine. Now, he is ready to take the mainstream by storm. Agni makes his Bollywood playback debut with C’mon Baby, a high-energy track featured in Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming thriller Bandar, starring Bobby Deol. Despite hailing from a film family, Agni chose a path of independent hustle until filmmaker Nikhil Dwivedi spotted his talent at a private gathering. In an exclusive chat with Filmfare, Agni opens up about stepping out of his comfort zone, serving a director’s creative vision, and why the lines between indie music and Bollywood are beautifully blurring.
C’mon Baby marks a massive shift from independent tracks like You Are Mine to a major Bollywood playback debut. How different was the creative freedom in the indie space compared to delivering for a specific film narrative?
When I’m making independent music, I’m usually the composer and writer so the creative freedom is total. This was a completely different experience. I wasn’t building something from scratch; I was offering my voice to a track that already had a soul. It’s a remake, and it was perfectly chosen for the film. Nikhil had a clear vision for what he wanted this song to be, and then Aditya Dev came in and elevated it to another level entirely. My job was to serve that vision and honestly, that was its own kind of creative challenge.
You’ve steadily built a distinct, contemporary sound as an indie artist. When transitioning into the mainstream playback space, how did you ensure that your identity as Agni didn’t get lost in a commercial track?
I just showed up as myself and sang it the way it felt right to me. If it sounded like Agni, great. If it pushed me somewhere new, also great. The track either accepts you or it doesn’t.
You are entering Bollywood with a track for a Bobby Deol-starrer directed by Anurag Kashyap, both known for their gritty, edgy and unconventional cinematic style. What kind of energy did Nikhil Dwivedi want you to bring to Bandar?
Nikhil wanted something that felt alive, raw, a little edgy, but with a groove to it. Nothing overproduced. Just honest energy that fits the world of the film. It was a pretty natural conversation honestly, no overcomplication. He knew what he wanted and I just tried to deliver that.
Bobby Deol has been having a phenomenal cinematic run lately. When you were recording C’mon Baby, did his on-screen persona influence how you delivered the vocals?
What I’ve seen of Bobby in the teaser and the bits of the trailer, the film has this incredibly gritty, thrilling energy to it. Dark, intense, the kind of thing that pulls you in immediately. That definitely stayed with me while recording. You want the track to belong in that world. Bobby on screen right now is just operating on a different level and the film looks like it matches that completely.
Coming from a film family, there’s always a certain expectation or an easy route available through a home banner. What made you consciously decide to step outside that comfort zone and pave your own way with Bandar?
Honestly, this one found me more than I found it. Nikhil Dwivedi is a family friend, he heard me sing at a private gathering, and something clicked for him. He believed my voice was right for this and gave me the opportunity. I’m just really grateful for that, grateful that he heard something worth backing. I don’t think too much beyond that.
Did forging your own path independently make this first Bollywood breakthrough feel more validating for you as an artist?
I don’t really think about things in those terms. I’m just following my passions and seeing where they lead. The appreciation this has received, that’s something I feel genuinely blessed by. I don’t take it for granted.
Right now, we are seeing a beautiful cultural shift where Bollywood is embracing new-age crossover artists. How do you view the current landscape for indie musicians entering mainstream cinema music? Is the industry becoming more experimental?
The walls are definitely lower than they used to be. What I find most exciting is that unique voices are getting more attention now and songs curated around those voices are being accepted. It’s no longer just about pitch-perfect technical delivery. There’s a real acceptance of honest expression, of voices that feel like a person rather than a performance. Nikhil spotting something in me at a private function and running with it is a perfect example of that shift. The industry is listening differently.
Every young artist has a playlist that shaped them. Who are the musical influences, both Indian and global, that have most heavily inspired your contemporary sound?
Growing up it was a lot of Bryan Adams and Ed Sheeran, that storytelling, the rawness of it. Then 50 Cent and Bruno Mars came in and gave me an appreciation for rhythm and production done right. And more recently Russ has been a big one for me, the independence, the craft, doing things on his own terms. Across all of them there’s an authenticity that I’ve always been drawn to.
Now that C’mon Baby is out and you’ve entered Bollywood, what can your listeners expect next?
More. That’s the honest answer. This opened something up for me, not just in terms of what’s possible, but in terms of what I want. I came in cautious and left curious. There’s more Agni music coming, there are more stories I want to tell in my own lane and if the right film moment comes along again, I won’t need as much convincing this time.
Also Read: Ayaan Agnihotri talks about working with uncle Salman Khan
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
