The commercial performance of Alpha may not have matched expectations, but the film’s young music composers and singers, Aabir Pandit and Rohansh Pandit, have no regrets about being part of the project. For the brothers, their association with the high-profile production represents a significant beginning to their professional careers rather than an experience that should be judged solely by box-office figures.
The sons of veteran music composer Lalit Pandit made their debut as singers and music composers with Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari. They were entrusted with the music of the film at remarkably young ages. Aabir was 18 and Rohansh was 21 when they took on the responsibility, placing them in charge of the musical identity of a major production from Yash Raj Films.
The opportunity was both prestigious and demanding. Alpha formed part of the studio’s established spy universe and was built around two female protagonists, giving the music a particularly important role in supporting the film’s scale, mood and action-driven narrative. For two composers at the beginning of their careers, working on such a large production brought considerable expectations.
The brothers, however, have developed a working relationship that allows them to approach those pressures together. They say they never formally decided that they would become a creative partnership. Their collaboration emerged naturally from their shared interest in music and their understanding of each other.
Their creative opinions do not always coincide, but they do not regard disagreements as a problem. Instead, differences allow them to test ideas and consider alternative approaches before deciding what works best for a particular piece of music. Discussion and experimentation therefore form a central part of their process.
Their father, Lalit Pandit, has also played an important role in shaping their outlook. Lalit and his brother Jatin Pandit have had a long association with Hindi film music, and their work has given the younger generation of the family a strong musical foundation. Aabir and Rohansh, however, are keen to establish identities of their own rather than rely solely on their family legacy.
Before they began work on Alpha, their father offered advice that has remained relevant as they have entered the industry. He encouraged them to understand that success and failure are both inevitable parts of a creative career. Rather than allowing commercial results to define them, he urged them to remain committed to music, stay honest to their artistic instincts and approach every project with the enthusiasm and dedication they would bring to a first opportunity.
For Aabir, the road to Alpha also included an experience away from music. He had previously worked as an assistant director during the filming of War 2. That experience gave him an opportunity to observe the workings of a major film set and understand the coordination required among different departments. He also saw director Ayan Mukerji at work, an experience that helped him appreciate the collaborative nature of large-scale filmmaking.
Aabir has also spoken about an earlier interest in acting. While he remains open to exploring acting alongside music in the future, his immediate focus is on developing his career as a musician and composer.
The responsibility of creating the music for Alpha inevitably brought pressure. The brothers were working on a major action film within Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, with the project carrying substantial expectations even before its release. Director Shiv Rawail provided them with a clear understanding of the musical direction required for the film, while producer Aditya Chopra’s guidance was also an important part of the process.
Despite the film’s commercial performance falling short of expectations, Rohansh has said that the outcome does not diminish the work that went into making it. The director, musicians and wider creative team spent more than two years working on the project, making the experience considerably more significant than its eventual financial reception.
For the brothers, the distinction between a film’s commercial result and the value of the creative experience is particularly relevant because Alpha was their first major professional venture. Rohansh believes every film has its own journey and that a first film can happen only once. Making their debut with a Yash Raj Films production is therefore something they regard with pride, regardless of the eventual box-office outcome.
Alpha was released in cinemas on 3 July and later became available on Netflix on 28 August. The project has given the two young musicians experience of working on a large-scale Hindi film and, despite its commercial setback, has provided them with a foundation for the next stage of their careers.
Aabir and Rohansh now intend to build a distinctive musical identity of their own. Their plans include experimenting with different sounds, collaborating with a range of artists and continuing to release music. For them, Alpha is not an endpoint. It is the beginning of a longer journey in the Hindi film music industry.
