It’s not common for a singer to bring out a chartbuster even as their last song is dominating everyone’s playlists. But that’s the kind of run Madhubanti Bagchi is enjoying at the moment. Her latest track, Jab Talak, from Cocktail 2 continues to make waves even as Shararat from Dhurandhar (2025) as well as her other numbers released years ago continue to be popular. “It’s a fulfilling feeling for sure,” she tells mid-day, as she sits down for a chat about the industry’s tendency to pigeon-hole artistes and preserving her art in a business that over-relies on a few voices.

Excerpts from the interview.