‘The pressure was real’: Abhijit Vaghani opens up on ‘Jag Se Laaj’, ‘Cocktail 2’ and 25 years of reshaping Bollywood music

Mumbai: For over two decades, Abhijit Vaghani has been one of the quiet forces shaping the sound of modern Bollywood. Whether it is crafting chart-topping tracks, building immersive background scores, or reinventing classics through live mashups, his contribution to the music industry has remained both dynamic and influential.

Now, as he returns to the much-loved T-Series Mixtape and receives praise for ‘Jag Se Laaj’ from ‘Cocktail 2’, Vaghani is once again in the spotlight and looking back at a journey that has constantly evolved with the changing sound of cinema.

Speaking about ‘Jag Se Laaj’, the music producer revealed that from the very beginning, the goal was to create something completely fresh.

“I wanted to create a high-energy party track, but one that didn’t sound like anything already out there,” he shared.

The song, featuring collaborations with Shilpa Rao, Aarvan, and W.I.S.H, came with its own set of expectations, especially because the original ‘Cocktail’ soundtrack still holds a strong place in listeners’ memories.

Vaghani admitted the pressure was intense.

“The tracks from the first Cocktail had a very specific sound. We wanted to bring our own energy to it, and the response has been incredible,” he said.

The art of reinventing classics

For Abhijit, T-Series Mixtape remains one of his most personal and creatively fulfilling projects.

Having helped define the format during its early days, he believes the magic lies in striking a balance — preserving the soul of iconic songs while giving them a fresh identity.

According to him, song selection is everything.

He explained that only songs with a strong emotional core can survive reimagination, and the chemistry between artists in a live format is something that cannot be faked.

“Too much change and you lose what people love. Too little and it feels like a cover,” he said.

That delicate balance, he believes, is what makes Mixtape special.

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How Bollywood music has changed

Reflecting on how music production has transformed over the years, Vaghani noted that the way audiences consume music today has completely changed the creative process.

Earlier, the focus was on creating big cinematic soundscapes songs designed to fill theatres and make a large impact.

Today, however, music often reaches listeners first through phones, earphones, and social media reels.

That shift, he says, has changed his own philosophy.

“Now the intimacy of a production matters just as much as the scale. It has to work in theatres, but also connect when someone is listening alone at midnight,” he explained.

Reviving India’s forgotten sounds

Looking ahead, Vaghani says one of his biggest passions is exploring the intersection of Indian classical music and modern electronic production.

But unlike traditional fusion experiments, he wants to create something that feels entirely original.

He also expressed concern over how many classical instruments are slowly disappearing from mainstream music.

Instruments like the Mohan Veena, Esraj, and Jal Tarang, he said, deserve a comeback.

His vision is to bring these rare sounds back into the spotlight, packaged for a global audience while staying rooted in Indian tradition.

After 25 years of reinvention, experimentation, and adaptation, Abhijit Vaghani remains proof that in Bollywood, the biggest sounds are often built by those working behind the scenes.