‘KING’: Madhubanti Bagchi on Collaborating With Arijit Singh, Sachin-Jigar and Ed Sheeran for the Shah Rukh Khan-Starrer: ‘It Feels Like A Dream Run’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Long before “Tu Mil Jaaye” from “KING”, there were “Egiye De” from “Shudhu Tomari Jonyo” (2015) and “Jebhabe Jalabi Jwalbo” from “Shikari” (2024) that put Madhubanti Bagchi together on a track with Arijit Singh. But it is the just-released Sachin Jigar-composed track that will be their collaboration that will stand the test of time. 

Bagchi has worked with the composer duo several times since 2020 (“Barbaadiyan” from “Shiddat” most notably in 2024’s “Aaj Ki Raat” (“Stree 2) and is quickly growing to become a singer of choice for all the biggest songs around. Their latest outing together is the first “KING” single, “Tu Mil Jaaye” alongside Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh and is picturised on the film’s lead pair, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

In a conversation with Variety India, Madhubanti Bagchi talks about her association with the composer duo, her “dream run, working with Arijit Singh again and the songs she’d want him to join her on stage for, if she ever invited him on stage ahead of her “This Is Who We Are” India tour, which begins Nov. 14, 2026.

‘Tu Mil Jaaye’ is your second major film single for Sachin-Jigar to release after ‘Aaj Ki Raat.’ However, you have worked with them regularly since 2021. What clicks?

I think it has a lot to do with their experience of working with so many playback singers and understanding what each voice brings to a song. They have always managed to place me in songs where I can explore something different and bring something unique to the table. I think that’s one of their biggest strengths as composers. There’s also a certain comfort that comes with working with them repeatedly. They understand my voice, and I understand the kind of musical spaces they enjoy creating. Every collaboration has allowed me to discover something new, and I think that creative understanding is what makes our association so special.

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An SRK-Deepika single is something everyone wants to tick off their list. To have an Arijit and an Ed Sheeran on the same track is just the cherry on top. Do you feel the same way?

Absolutely! Honestly, this feels like a dream run. I grew up watching Shah Rukh Khan, and his films and songs have been such a big part of my childhood. So, when I first learnt that ‘Tu Mil Jaaye’ was going to be filmed on Shah Rukh Khan, I was genuinely overjoyed. As an artist, to have your voice become a part of a song featuring someone you’ve grown up watching is an incredibly special feeling. It’s one of those opportunities that makes you pause and realise how far you’ve come.

And then, to have Arijit da and Ed Sheeran associated with the same song makes it even more extraordinary. Working with Arijit da has always been incredible, and there’s so much I admire about him as a musician. Ed is a very special addition to this collaboration, bringing an entirely different musical identity to the track. The millennial in me wants to run on the streets screaming, but I’m somehow holding myself back! I think it’s one of those magical collaborations that come together at just the right moment, and I’m genuinely grateful to be a part of it.

How do you imagine the vibe would be, had the three of you got to record together?

We didn’t get to record together, but I would have absolutely loved that experience. I think being in a room with musicians of their calibre would be a learning experience in itself. Arijit da has such an instinctive understanding of music, and Ed has a very distinct approach to songwriting and performance. Even observing how they interpret a melody or approach a particular line would be fascinating for me. I’m sure I would have taken away so much from even a single recording session with them. It’s always exciting to be around artists who bring such different musical sensibilities to the table.

Would you invite Arijit to join you on tour? And if you would, which other song apart from ‘Tu Mil Jaaye’ would you have him sing?

I have had so many duets with Arijit dada since my Bengali playback days. It would be amazingly cool to have him sing his parts on those songs because he rarely performs those anymore.