‘Bandish Bandits’ Season 2 Review: Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry’s Series Remains an Enjoyable Symphony of Fabulous Music and Good Performances (LatestLY Exclusive)

Bandish Bandits Season 2 Review: There was some trepidation for me when I started watching the new season of Bandish Bandits. Naseeruddin Shah was no longer part of the main cast. For inexplicable reasons, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, whose incredible soundtrack was a key reason for the first season's appeal, was also missing. The very underrated Amit Mistry sadly passed away in the interim (though Rituraj Singh, who also passed away a few months back, still appears in Season 2). These were gaping holes for Bandish Bandits Season 2 to fill. ‘Bandish Bandits’ Season 2: Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry Return to the Stage for a New Musical Battle, Set To Stream on Prime Video on December 13.

So, I was relieved to find that while the second season isn’t perfect, Bandish Bandits retains its charm with some incredible songs and emotionally powerful moments. Also, any show that gives so much screen time to the wonderful Sheeba Chadha and the effervescent Divya Dutta is a win in my book.

At the start of the new season, Panditji (Naseeruddin Shah) has passed away, denying us a storyline where the maestro, whose life was music, grapples with his deafness. Radhe (Ritwik Bhowmik), having won the Sangeet Samrat title by defeating his uncle Digvijay (Atul Kulkarni), is now obstinately obsessed with carrying forward his grandfather’s legacy. However, a scandal from Panditji’s past tarnishes the family’s reputation, forcing Radhe to move to Mumbai and join a rock band to make ends meet while popularising his grandfather's compositions.

Meanwhile, Tamanna (Shreya Chaudhry), eager to master her craft, enrols in an esteemed music school in Kasauli under the brilliant but stern Nandini (Divya Dutta). At the school, Tamanna discovers she is far from the best, and Nandini is reluctant to make her the lead vocalist for their band, preferring the more talented Soumya (Yashaswini Dayama). The band aims to compete in the prestigious Indian Band Championship (IBC).

Watch the Trailer of 'Bandish Bandits' Season 2:

Radhe is also determined to enter the IBC, seeing it as a chance to share his grandfather’s compositions with a broader audience. While his father, Rajendra (Rajesh Tailang), supports him, his mother, Mohini (Sheeba Chadha) and Digvijay view it as a betrayal of their gharana traditions. The rest of the story follows the rivalry between Radhe and Tamanna, now ex-lovers, as they compete for the same prize.

'Bandish Bandits' Season 2 Review - The Fabulous Soundtrack

The Bandish Bandits soundtrack continues to be its strongest asset even in season 2. While I missed Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s touch and there’s no breakout hit like "Sajan Bin" or "Lab Pe," the new songs—composed by various artists—remain beautiful, heartfelt, and occasionally brilliant. My favourites include "Saavan Mohe Tarasaaye" (composed by Souumil and Siddharth, with lyrics by Sameer Samant and vocals by Ankita Joshi and Krishna Bongane) and "Sakhi Mori" (composed and sung by DigV).

The picturisation of these songs amplifies their magic. In "Saavan Mohe Tarasaaye," the duet between Mohini and Digvijay conveys an intimacy that their nearly touching hands can barely contain, creating a chemistry so palpable you can’t blame Rajendra for his jealousy.

The IBC performance of "Sakhi Mori" in Episode 6 is where the second season hits its peak. A key character finally gets their moment in the spotlight, leading to the season's most emotional high. The build-up and the performance itself had me in happy tears. If the season had ended there, I might have overlooked its flaws entirely. Unfortunately, the momentum dips significantly in the episodes that follow. Bandish Bandits Season 1 Review: Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhry’s Musical Saga Gets Its Tune Right With Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s Brilliant Soundtrack and Amazing Supporting Cast.

'Bandish Bandits' Season 2 Review - The Drama: Highs and Lows

The writing feels sharper this season, introducing intriguing conflicts and well-rounded new characters. That said, the pacing falters at times, and some contrivances are hard to ignore. The scandal surrounding Panditji’s past feels overly exaggerated, as does the drama around Radhe’s rock band withholding critical information until a pivotal performance. These moments feel engineered for conflict rather than emerging naturally from the story.

Still, these flaws are minor compared to the intriguing challenges and layered conflicts introduced this season. The inclusion of a music competition may seem clichéd in a show like this, but it adds some meaningful stakes and makes the drama compelling. Anand Tiwari, after two underwhelming outings (Majaa Ma and Bad Newz), seems to have found his rhythm again. Credit also goes to the writing team (Tiwari, Atmika Didwania, and Karan Singh Tyagi) for crafting nuanced new characters while giving returning ones meaningful arcs.

Divya Dutta’s Nandini is a fantastic addition. Initially cool towards Tamanna, Nandini’s dynamic with her new student evolves in unexpected ways, subverting my expectations. Paresh Pahuja’s Mahi, the rock band’s leader, also starts off as a prickly character but is later revealed to be much more complex. As the show progresses, we see more layers to this character, who, in a very well-performed scene, shows Radhe a harsh mirror of how Radhe's music is ruled by privilege and caste, and that's what he aims to break. His track was also important in why the whole "Sakhi Mori" hits all the right notes.

Tamanna’s band may lack the classical gravitas of Radhe’s group, but their internal drama compensates for it. Tamanna’s insecurities and the jealousy from her lead singer add depth to her journey.

'Bandish Bandits' Season 2 Review -  Where It Falters

Like the first season, the romantic arc between Radhe and Tamanna remains the weakest link. Their conflict feels shallow, and the story fails to make their relationship as compelling as the surrounding drama. It doesn't help that their pairing suffers from the Sex Education problem. We rooted for Otis and Maeve, but when the former hooks up with Ruby, suddenly we couldn't help but love this shortlived pairing and wished they were together instead. Similarly, when Tamanna hooks up with her band’s pianist Ayaan (Rohan Gurbaxani) and Radhe grows closer to Ananya (Aaliyah Qureishi), these pairings feel more authentic, since the season never allowed the main pair much time together. The romantic tension between them is done decently, but when the seventh episode returns the focus on this romantic entanglement after some musical highs, I could feel the tempo dropping down considerably here, even though the jugalbandi sequence was fantastic in how the music inserts more drama between the couple.

In contrast, the dramatic triangle between Rajendra, Mohini and Digvijay had more panache and good dramatic moments, particularly the scene where Mohini and Digvijay have a showdown, that's brilliantly performed by Chadha and Kulkarni.

The final two episodes also have pieces falling conveniently into their respective places. Certain conflicts get solved immediately after a conversation, as if the characters are rushing to that feel-good conclusion. A detour into Panditji’s origins ties into Radhe’s motivations but feels hurried and somewhat whitewashed. Thankfully, the finale’s songs redeem some of these missteps while it reaches for a conclusion that seems happy for everyone.

'Bandish Bandits' Season 2 Review - Performances

The acting is stellar across the board. Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry deliver solid performances, especially in the musical sequences. Atul Kulkarni, Sheeba Chadha, Rajesh Tailang, and Divya Dutta are excellent, as always. Kunal Roy Kapoor provides light-hearted moments, while Paresh Pahuja steals the show whenever he appears.

Yashaswini Dayama is fantastic, though her character’s conflict with Tamanna resolves too easily. While Amit Mistry will be missed, Saurabh Nayyar does his part credibly well. Rohan Gurbaxani and Aaliyah Qureishi were likeable in their parts. There is also a surprise cameo from a star who performs well in his limited screentime.

'Bandish Bandits' Season 2 Review - Final Thoughts

Bandish Bandits Season 2 is a worthy continuation of the previous season, which excels in its music and emotional depth. Despite some pacing issues and uneven romantic subplots, the series remains an engaging watch for its stellar performances and beautiful soundtrack. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that music, in all its forms, continues to be this show’s soul. Bandish Bandits Season 2 is streaming on Prime Video.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2024 08:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).