આ પણ વાંચો ટ્રેન્ડિંગ સમાચાર
Two brilliant independent musicians are officially joining forces as newlyweds! Sanjeeta Bhattacharya and Raag Sethi announce their first collaborative single, ‘Phir Se’, from their upcoming EP, Dear Diary. Sanjeeta, a Grammy-nominated singer and actor, celebrated for her work with the Berklee Indian Ensemble, global festival performances and her debut in Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan (2023), pairs her dynamic vocal presence with Raag’s soulful production. An acclaimed composer, Grammy-voting member and founder of Compass Box Studio, Raag has played a pivotal role in elevating independent artists across India. With a brand-new single and a larger body of work on the way, the duo is preparing to share their story in the most personal and authentic way they know — through music.
Phir Se is a reflection on the unexpected ways love can find its way back into our lives. Born from a deeply personal experience, the song traces the journey of two people who met, lost touch for years and eventually found their way back to each other. What began as a reunion evolved into a profound friendship and ultimately, a love that unfolded almost effortlessly, moving from strangers to soulmates in an instant. In the realm of acoustic pop/folk, Phir Se is an ode to reconnection and second chances, celebrating finding love when you least expect it and those rare, serendipitous moments when two lives come together once more.
Phir Se is an intimate acoustic pop/folk ballad. The lyrics are written by Abhin Joshi and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, while the composition is by Sanjeeta Bhattacharya and Raag Sethi. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya lends her vocals to the track. Raag Sethi is credited for the production, arrangement, mastering and guitars. The track is mixed by Protyay Chakraborty, with keys by Nayan Kapadiya and drums by Jyotirmay Menon.
Speaking about how the song came together, Sanjeeta says:
“It literally started with a tiny guitar motif that Raag recorded on my phone while he was “noodling” around. I decided to write over it and the first thing that came to mind was us- when we were just getting to know each other.
I was listening to a lot of MARO’s music at the time, which influenced the harmonies and phrasing. We wanted the production to feel organic, built around acoustic guitars, upright bass and vocals, with almost everything recorded rather than programmed. We were drawing from folk, jazz and acoustic pop while trying to create something fresh. I initially wrote it in English, but midway through, we brought Abhin Joshi in to help shape it in Hindi.”
The personal story behind Phir Se became an important part of the song’s emotional foundation. Sanjeeta and Raag first met in 2019, spent a day together, felt something and then lost touch. When they met again in March last year, their relationship progressed rapidly, with marriage becoming a conversation within days. Sanjeeta had never seriously imagined that for herself before.
She recalls:
“It felt like this person had come back into my life and changed it in the most beautiful way – a story that deserved not just one song, but an entire album. Phir Se is a snapshot of some of the best days of our lives. There’s something incredibly exhilarating about turning your own life into music and getting to relive it through a song.”»
The creative partnership between Sanjeeta and Raag is rooted in the trust they developed as musicians and friends long before becoming partners in life. Speaking about the experience of working with Sanjeeta as a musician and creative partner, Raag says:
“What’s special about working with Sanjeeta is the trust we’ve always had creatively. I knew her as a musician and friend long before I knew her as my wife so there was already a deep understanding when we reconnected years later.
«She’s incredibly instinctive and fearless as an artist and often pushes me to hear or approach things differently. Now that we’re partners in life too, there’s an even greater honesty in the way we work. We can challenge each other, disagree, laugh about it, and still know we’re working towards the same thing. I feel very lucky that I get to have that kind of creative freedom with her that only comes with being best friends.”
Phir Se is the first track from their upcoming EP, Dear Diary, a four-track project in Hindi, English, Bengali and Spanish, exploring different facets of love, including losing it, finding it and starting over. Sanjeeta says:
“Phir Se is about reconnection and second chances and finding love when you least expect it. Musically, each song has its own world: acoustic folk-pop, Balkan folk, waltz, Portuguese fado and Bengali folk, all with our own twists. We wanted the record to be an honest amalgamation of our influences, but above all, we made it for the joy of creating together.”
Some of the songs on Dear Diary were born during Sanjeeta and Raag’s tour last year, with their travels and experiences naturally finding their way into the music. What began as an intimate live experience built around storytelling and a genuine connection with the audience gradually evolved into an EP, while the duo sought to retain that intimacy and allow themselves to be vulnerable, raw and experimental.
Sanjeeta explains:
“Our travels and experiences naturally found their way into the music. Dear Diary began as an intimate live experience built around storytelling and a genuine connection with the audience. As it evolved into an EP, we wanted to keep that intimacy while allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, raw and experimental. The 2026–27 Dear Diary EP Tour is a chance to bring this new music and the stories behind it back to the stage.”
Sanjeeta Bhattacharya and Raag Sethi will unveil their Dear Diary EP soon, along with the announcement of the Dear Diary India Tour 2026–27, continuing the intimate, storytelling-driven experience of Sanjeeta’s 11-city Dear Diary Tour in 2025. The tour dates are yet to be announced.
Sanjeeta Bhattacharya sums up the spirit of the journey:
“Bring your diary. Let’s write this new chapter together.”
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ARTIST INFORMATION
Sanjeeta Bhattacharya
Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is an artist who oscillates seamlessly between music and acting through her years within the arts. She made her film debut in Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan (2023) and wrote and performed the Spanish track “Mis Chicas” for its soundtrack with Anirudh Ravichander. A 2023 Grammy nominee with the Berklee Indian Ensemble, she has also been featured in Spotify RADAR and Apple Music Up Next. As a live performer, her music has taken her to festivals including Nami Island World Music Festival in South Korea, Panama Jazz Festival and NH7 Weekender, among others.
Raag Sethi
Raag Sethi is an acclaimed composer, producer, bassist and guitarist based in Ahmedabad. As the founder of Compass Box Studio, he has played a pivotal role in elevating independent artists across India through the Compass Box Live Sessions, having worked with some of the top indie artists, including Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Hanita Bhambri, Tejas, Kamakshi Khanna, Dot, Aditi Ramesh and more. His musical contributions have gained significant coverage in major Indian music outlets. Sethi, a voting member of the Grammys, has collaborated with A.R. Rahman and Clinton Cerejo as an associate producer and engaged Grammy-winning engineers for his various studio endeavours. He has performed at some of the biggest festivals, including NH7 Weekender, Lollapalooza, Serendipity and more.
