Actor Rajesh Tailang opened up recently about how his father’s unfulfilled musical dreams came alive through his character in Bandish Bandits Season 2. Rajesh hails from the Bikaner Gharana, a lineage steeped in rich musical traditions. He shared that he drew heavily from his father’s life while portraying his character in the first season.

“Interestingly, when Anand, our director, cast me for the role, he had no idea about my deep-rooted musical lineage or that I hail from Rajasthan—specifically, Bikaner. Music runs in my blood. While my character, Rajendra, represents the Jodhpur Gharana, I come from the Bikaner Gharana in real life. In the first season, I drew heavily from my father’s life for my portrayal,” Rajesh shared.

His father, however, couldn’t pursue music as he had to take on family responsibilities being the eldest. “He started a business instead, but the pain of letting go of his musical passion was always palpable. That emotional conflict became the foundation of my character in season one,” he said.

Rajesh added, “Season two is an even more emotional journey for me because, in a way, my father’s unfulfilled dreams are coming alive through my portrayal. When Anand discovered this personal connection, he was thrilled and said he couldn’t have imagined a better fit for the role.”

Produced by Amritpal Singh Bindra, and directed by Anand Tiwari, the Leo Media Collective Private Limited production, the show will see the return of its cast for the second season including Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhry, Sheeba Chaddha, Atul Kulkarni, and Kunaal Roy Kapur, along with new cast members, Divya Dutta, Rohan Gurbaxani, Yashaswini Dayama, Aaliyah Qureshi, and Saurabh Nayyar. It is set to premiere on Prime Video on December 13.