'He Had No Starry Airs': Ajaneesh Loknath On Collaborating With Diljit Dosanjh For Rebel

Rishab Shetty’s Kannada blockbuster Kantara Chapter 1 is still making waves at the box office, inching closer to the Rs 800 crore mark globally, and a lot of that magic comes from its music. Composed by Ajaneesh Loknath, the soundtrack has become one of the film’s biggest talking points, with songs like Brahmakalasha and Rebel perfectly capturing the high-energy, intense world of the movie.

For the Hindi version of Rebel, Ajaneesh teamed up with none other than Diljit Dosanjh, and the composer describes the experience as nothing short of amazing. Fans of both the film and the singer got a peek into this collaboration through behind-the-scenes stories, and Ajaneesh recalls how Diljit, already a fan of Kantara, spent time discussing the film with Rishab

Shetty before stepping into the recording studio.

The Hindi version of Rebel features vocals by Bollywood and Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Ajaneesh described collaborating with Diljit as “an amazing experience,” noting that the singer had admired Kantara and had spent time discussing the film with Rishab Shetty before recording.

The song appears at a crucial juncture in the film, where Rishab Shetty’s character, Berme, and his clan send a defiant message to King Kulashekara, portrayed by Gulshan Devaiah. A promotional video for the track, released online, has garnered nearly 10 million views on YouTube, depicting Diljit immersed in the world of Kantara, aligned with its people, and fighting for their cause.

Ajaneesh Loknath explained why Diljit was chosen for the Hindi version of the track: “We have screams in the song and grunting noises as a sign of strength that are hard to pull off. I wanted someone who has the throat to emit it, and I knew some Punjabi singers could do it. When I pitched the idea to Rishab and Hombale Films, they agreed, and we thought Diljit would be the perfect fit for the Hindi version. Diljit knew, while coming on board, what the film was about, and I saw Rishab and him share a nice moment about it.”

Ajaneesh also talked about Diljit’s down-to-earth attitude during the recording sessions. “He never made me feel like he was a star or had any airs. He gave me the space to record the song the way I wanted. He even brought along a harmonium and asked me to teach him the tune. That’s a big gesture, because usually, singers aren’t always that invested,” he said.

The composer added, “And when we heard his voice, Rishab and I turned to each other in awe. We just knew we had what we wanted.”

Kantara Chapter 1 is currently screening in theatres across South Indian languages and Hindi. The film is scheduled for an English-language release on October 31.