Bollywood film Alpha may not have delivered the commercial response its makers had hoped for, but the film’s young music composers and singers, Aabir Pandit and Rohanesh Pandit, say they have no regrets about being part of the project. For the sons of veteran music composer Lalit Pandit, the film represents far more than its box-office performance. It marks the beginning of their professional journey in the Hindi film industry.
Aabir and Rohanesh made their debut as singers and music composers with Alpha, taking charge of the film’s entire music album. The scale of the assignment was significant, particularly given their age. Aabir was only 18 and Rohanesh 21 when they were entrusted with the music of a major production from Yash Raj Films.
The film, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, is part of Yash Raj Films’ spy universe and is built around two female central characters. For the young composers, creating music for such a large-scale action film brought considerable responsibility. They had to develop music that could complement the film’s characters, narrative and overall atmosphere while also establishing their own identity as emerging artists.
The brothers say their decision to work together was never a formal one. Their shared passion for music and natural understanding of each other gradually led them towards a collaborative approach. Their creative opinions do not always match, but they see those differences as part of the process rather than a source of conflict.
When the brothers disagree over a musical idea, they discuss it, experiment with different approaches and eventually settle on what they believe works best for the song or the film. That process, they suggest, allows both of them to contribute without allowing personal preferences to dominate the final work.
Their father, Lalit Pandit, has also played an important role in shaping their approach to music. Lalit, along with his brother Jatin Pandit, has been associated with Hindi cinema music for decades. The family’s musical heritage has naturally influenced Aabir and Rohanesh, although both are keen to establish identities that are distinct from their father’s legacy.
Before they began working on Alpha, Lalit offered them advice that has remained relevant throughout the project. He told his sons that success and failure are both part of a career in music. What matters more, he advised, is remaining committed to the craft, staying honest to one’s artistic instincts and approaching every project with the enthusiasm and discipline of a first assignment.
He also encouraged them not to measure themselves solely through the commercial outcome of a particular film. For young artists, such advice can be especially significant because a debut project often attracts considerable attention while also creating expectations about what comes next.
Aabir’s route into Alpha was also shaped by an earlier experience on a major film set. He had worked as an assistant director during the shooting of War 2. The experience allowed him to observe the working methods of established artists and to see how a large film set operates. He also had the opportunity to observe director Ayan Mukerji at close quarters.
That experience helped him understand the importance of coordination between different departments. A major film is the result of many creative and technical teams working towards the same objective, and Aabir carried that understanding into his subsequent work in music.
Music, however, has not always been Aabir’s only creative interest. He has previously been interested in acting and hopes to explore that side of his career in the future. For now, though, music remains his principal focus.
The responsibility attached to Alpha was particularly substantial because the brothers were handling the complete album of a major action film at a very young age. They were aware of the expectations surrounding the project and the questions that naturally arise when relatively new artists are given such an important assignment.
Director Shiv Rawail’s clarity about the kind of music the film required helped guide their work. Producer Aditya Chopra’s direction was also significant during the process. For Aabir and Rohanesh, the project became an opportunity to learn how music for a large commercial production is developed within the broader filmmaking process.
The film’s commercial performance, however, did not match the expectations surrounding it. Asked whether that outcome had disappointed them, Rohanesh emphasised the amount of work invested in the project. The director, music team and other members of the production worked on the film for more than two years.
For the brothers, that long process cannot simply be reduced to a box-office figure. They remain proud of what they created and view the experience as an important part of their development as musicians.
Rohanesh also believes that every film has its own journey. A debut comes only once, and the opportunity to begin their careers with a Yash Raj Films production is something the brothers regard as fortunate. The commercial result, therefore, has not changed their view of the significance of the project.
Alpha was released in cinemas on 3 July and later became available on Netflix on 28 August. Its release gave the two young musicians an opportunity to work on a scale considerably larger than that of many debut projects, while also exposing them to the demands of mainstream Hindi cinema.
Their ambitions now extend beyond a single film. Aabir and Rohanesh want to develop a distinctive musical identity of their own, experiment with different sounds and collaborate with a variety of artists. They are also interested in releasing music independently and expanding their creative work beyond film projects.
For the Pandit brothers, then, Alpha is not being remembered simply through the lens of its commercial performance. It has given them their first major experience of working within a large-scale Hindi film production and, more importantly, provided the foundation on which they hope to build their own musical careers.
