Exclusive: Shreya Chaudhry opens up on reprising the role of Tamanna in 'Bandish Bandits' season 2

Bandish Bandits, the popular musical romantic drama television series, returns for its highly anticipated second season and fans are in for a treat as the series promises to take the music and drama to new heights. At the heart of this captivating story is Tamanna, the ambitious and fiercely talented pop sensation, brought to life by Shreya Chaudhry. The actress and model — originally from Mumbai, Maharashtra — stepped into the limelight with her debut in Dear Maya.

Having appeared in The Other Way, Conditions Apply and Commando — she is now reprising her role to charm the audiences with her portrayal of a young musician navigating the worlds of love, ambition and tradition. In this conversation, we delve into the evolution of her character and what viewers can expect in the new season besides her journey as an artiste.

How did you get into acting?

I didn’t grow up thinking I would become an actor, I was quite academically driven. But from childhood, if there’s a core memory, it is being on stage. That’s when I felt seen and alive — the seed was sown then. When I was in college, I was asked by a casting associate to audition for an advertisement, it was a cola commercial and I didn’t tell my parents about it. I just went for the audition and I landed the part. Being on set for the first time — even though it was just a two-day shoot, the sense of being seen and heard again was the second time when I felt alive. That’s when I realised this was what I want to do professionally. This is what I was born to do.

How has Tamanna’s character in season two evolved?

The character undergoes a beautiful transformation. At the end of season one, she decides to go to music school — that decision stems from a sense of maturity. She didn’t want to be mediocre or rely on auto-tune, so she decided to go back to basics. She joins a music school where she learns not only a ton about music but also about life. She finds an amazing mentor in the form of Nandini, played by Divya Dutta and Tamanna becomes much more empathetic and grows into a true artiste. She’s still flawed — she still makes mistakes and learns from them — but her arc is marvellous and the character is much more layered.

How has the series changed your perception of music?

Bandish Bandits season two is all about art and artistes. My perception of music has definitely evolved. I’ve always treated music as a companion throughout my life. I listen to music to focus or calm myself down. Even the sound of waves feels like music to me — it’s something I listen to before going to sleep. After working on Bandish Bandits seasons one and two, my connection with music has deepened. I now have a greater appreciation for this artform.

What did you, as an artiste, learn from being a part of this series?

As Tamanna went to music school, so did Shreya. I had to familiarise myself with technical knowledge to play the part more convincingly. I can now visually imagine the structure of a song — the graphs, the layers, the distinction between melody and chorus and so on. I also took keyboard lessons because, in season two, whenever you see a character playing an instrument, we’re playing the correct notes of the song. I even had to sing a semi-operatic song, which required a different kind of training compared to what you’d need for a pop song.

What can we expect from the new season?

One of the highlights for me in season two is the introduction of newer genres. People have loved and embraced shastriya sangeet and many have told us they started listening to it because of the show. This time, we’ve introduced genres like semi-operatic songs, rock versions and hardcore pop, which adds a beautiful diversity to the music. There’s a jugalbandi scene between Tamanna and Radhe where they’re not just lip-syncing or competing against each other. There are so many unsaid emotions conveyed through that scene while they’re performing.

Bandish Bandits Season 2 is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.