World Music Day 2024: Explore Heeramandi, Bandish Bandits & Other Musical Gems

Music has always been a crucial part of culture, deeply embedded in theatre and cinema to enhance storytelling. On World Music Day, we present a selection of stories that celebrate music as a central theme and a vibrant entity.

This Amazon Prime Video series, "Bandish Bandits," is a musical created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari. It stars Ritwik Bhowmik as a Hindustani classical musician who meets Tamanna Sharma (Shreya Chaudhary), a pop singer. Their encounter sparks a fusion of tradition and modernity. The series also features Naseeruddin Shah, Sheeba Chaddha, and Atul Kulkarni. Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy composed the soundtrack.

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, this Netflix series boasts compelling music that continues to top charts. Songs like 'Sakal Ban', 'Nazariya ki Maari', 'Saiyaan Hatto Jaao,' and 'Chaudhavi Shab' blend classical music with traditional lyrics by Amir Khusrau. Bhansali's passion for opulence shines through in the song picturisations.

"Piya Behrupiya" is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy 'Twelfth Night'. This Zee Theatre production uses folk fusion music to retell the love stories of Duke Orsino, Olivia, Cesario, and Viola. Directed by Atul Kumar, it stars Geetanjali Kulkarni, Amitosh Nagpal, Sagar Deshmukh, Mansi Multani, Mantra Mugdh, Gagan Riar, Neha Saraf, Trupti Khamkar, and Saurabh Nayar. Watch it at Tata Play Theatre on 21st June.

This Zee Theatre teleplay centres around Beni Bai, a former baithak singer who shares her wisdom through music. Set in a neighbourhood affected by communalism, the story celebrates humanity's many shades. Directed by Sourabh Shrivastava and written by Purva Naresh, it stars Trishla Patel, Sarika Singh, Prerna Chawla, Pritika Chawla, Purva Naresh herself, Pawan Uttam, Imran Rasheed, Sukant Goel, Nishi Doshi and Rajshree Deshpande. Watch it on Airtel Spotlight, Dish TV Rangmanch Active and D2H Rangmanch Active on 21st June.

"Ladies Sangeet," created by Purva Naresh and directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay, explores the clash between tradition and modernity through music. Set against Radha's wedding preparations at her ancestral home, the story addresses patriarchy and gender identity with humour and sharp insights. The teleplay stars Joy Sengupta, Nidhi Singh, Siddhant Karnick, Loveleen Mishra, Harsh Khurana , Sarika Singh, Monica Gupta, Niranjan Iyengar, Mallika Singh and Nivedita Bhargava. Watch it at Tata Play Theatre on 21st June.

These musical narratives not only entertain but also provoke thought by blending music with storytelling in unique ways.