Music composer and producer Abhijit Vaghani, a creative force behind some of Bollywood's most recognisable songs over a 27-year career, says the Hindi film industry remains his safe space when it comes to making music. Speaking in Mumbai amid a packed schedule, Vaghani opened up about juggling multiple projects — from a new season of the music series Mixtape to his music academy and the recently released film Cocktail 2.

A Bollywood Boy at Heart

Vaghani, who has worked on tracks ranging from 'Sooraj Dooba Hain' and 'High Heels' to 'Aaj Ki Party' and 'Desi Boys', says being recognised as a top-tier professional in the industry has always been his goal. 'It feels so nice to be accepted by Bollywood in a way that you're a professional, like an A-plus category professional, which was always my dream. And I'm feeling very grateful about it,' he said.

With several more Bollywood films in the pipeline, Vaghani shows no signs of slowing down. He described his relationship with the industry as one built on trust and creative consistency over nearly three decades.

Mixtape: His Most Personal Project

Of all his current commitments, Vaghani says Mixtape is occupying his maximum bandwidth. 'Mixtape has always been my baby,' he said, recalling that the series began roughly 9 years ago as an experiment in reimagining cover versions from the vast T-Series catalogue — a library spanning 26,000 to 30,000 songs.

The concept evolved organically. While working on a cover, Vaghani instinctively hummed a different melody over the track and realised the two fit together seamlessly. 'We thought we'll do something different with it — like we'll add that song along with this, like a mash-up — and then suddenly we realised that about lyrical content, scaling, all this together, it fits perfectly,' he explained.

The upcoming new season of Mixtape builds on that original creative philosophy, though Vaghani has kept specific details close to his chest ahead of its release.

Cocktail 2 and the Academy

Vaghani has also recently wrapped up work on the soundtrack for Cocktail 2, with final touches being applied ahead of the film's OTT release. Alongside this, he is working to establish his music academy, which he describes as the next major milestone in his career beyond composing and production.

The academy represents a shift in focus — from creating music to nurturing the next generation of musicians, a goal Vaghani appears equally passionate about.

What's Next

With Mixtape's new season in progress, his academy taking shape, and more Bollywood projects in the works, Abhijit Vaghani is operating at one of the busiest phases of his career. His trajectory suggests that after 27 years, the composer is not just sustaining relevance in a fast-changing industry — he is actively expanding his creative footprint.