'Kept struggling, stumbling': Tanishk Bagchi recalls depression battle
What's the story
Music composer Tanishk Bagchi recently opened up about his battle with depression while accepting the Best Song award for Saiyaara at the Chetak Screen Awards 2026. He credited director Mohit Suri for helping him rediscover his purpose during this challenging time. The song, a major hit of 2025, was co-composed by Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, and Arslan Nizami.
Acceptance speech
'I was going through depression for 2 years'
During his acceptance speech, Bagchi said, "Really nervous today. The only person I want to thank is Mohit Suri sir. I was going through depression for two years." He added, "It happens, I'm a musician, so I'm a bit emotional. I kept stumbling and struggling along the way. I wasn't able to work at all."
Turning point
He revealed he called Suri for help
Bagchi shared how he called Suri in the middle of the night during his depressive phase. He said, "So, I called up Mohit sir in the middle of the night and told him sir, if you have a story where you want to end it in a happy note for true lovers." "If you love somebody so deeply and you lose that person, then you lose hope."
Director's guidance
Bagchi thanked his co-composers, too
Bagchi recalled Suri's advice during this tough time, saying, "Mohit sir came to me, and he told me, 'Tanishq, you are meant to do music, and so your first and last love should be music.'" "I followed it, and we created Saiyaara. So thank you, sir, for this." He also thanked his co-composers, Abdullah and Nizami, for their support.
Award details
'Saiyaara' beat these songs to win Best Song
Bagchi, Abdullah, and Nizami's song beat tough competition to win the Best Song award. The nominees included Dhurandhar title track by Shashwat Sachdev and Charanjit Ahuja, Gehra Hua by Sachdev, Barbaad by The Rish, and Humsafar by Sachet-Parampara. The Chetak Screen Awards 2026 marked a comeback after a seven-year gap, and the ceremony was live-streamed on SonyLIV, Sony Entertainment Television, and YouTube.