There are artistes who adapt to formats. And then there are those who simply follow their instinct. Lyricist and composer Swanand Kirkire belongs to the second category. Purely going by his instinct, he took the leap and turned creator with the new series, Bandwaale. But to him, the role marks his return to something foundational. “I come from theatre. I have written original plays. Lyrics happened [later],” he said, when we got on a call.

Starring Kirkire, Zahan Kapoor, and Shalini Pandey, Bandwaale revolves around three small-town artistes who come together to form an unlikely band. Music, naturally, is the spine of the Prime Video series. That’s precisely where Kirkire believes streaming platforms initially faltered. “I think OTT platforms initially didn’t fully understand the power of music in Indian storytelling,” said the artiste, who has also served as actor, lyricist, singer, and composer on the show.