Vaibhav Pani.
Think of the songs you've had on repeat lately. Maybe it's a rhythmic drive track like "Aavan Javan", a heart-touching love song like "Tum ho toh" from Saiyaara, or a massive film anthem like "Yeh Awarapan" from Awarapan 2 or a rock anthem like "Ehsaas". It's likely that you can name the singers in two seconds flat, maybe even the music directors on the posters.
But, ever wonder who added that background piano to evoke this emotion of love, or timed the beat drop perfectly so it created that "hook" you danced to? That's what a music producer does behind the scenes. And for all these songs listed here, that name is Vaibhav Pani. If you've lived in India this past decade, you've probably danced or cried to all these tracks, while the man who shaped those emotions stayed in the shadows.
Vaibhav Pani didn't come to Bollywood through music school; his early years went into engineering entrance prep, like any typical Indian household. In his twenties, he worked as an IT consultant for a large multinational IT company, flying across countries closing deals. However, music stayed a constant love since junior college, when an introverted kid found comfort in his guitar and rock and metal.
After 5 years in corporate, despite a thriving career and an eighteen-lakh-rupee offer in hand a decade ago, Vaibhav hit a crossroads.
"One day", Vaibhav says, "someone just casually said it during an ordinary HR training session - something about people turning forty and regretting what they never tried in their twenties. That line just wouldn't leave my head. I went into this whole loop of overthinking after that."
His then girlfriend, now wife, helped him see that life didn't have to follow one singular path; life could have a lot to offer. Reassured by her support, he quit his job on 4th May, 2016, with no backup plan whatsoever.
The years that followed were not easy, and Vaibhav doesn't pretend otherwise. In his first year as a musician he earned roughly 75,000 rupees, a miniscule fraction of what he'd walked away from.
It got so frustrating that Vaibhav was ready to give up after 6 months and look for another corporate desk. But fate had other plans. Composer Vishal Mishra found him and decided his music had promise, refused to let him quit, and handed him his very first paycheck as a music producer. That single moment of faith became the turning point and building block for his career; and from there, Vaibhav slowly began to rise.
The next three and a half years things didn't really look better, work was scarce, and self-doubt crept in more often than he'd like to admit. But this time, Vaibhav kept going, and when the rewards started coming, they poured.
Since 2020, Vaibhav has amassed more than 170 production and composition credits across Bollywood and independent music. When you hear the aching intimacy of "Tum Ho Toh" in Saiyaara, that's Vaibhav choosing atmospheric synths never heard before in Indian cinema. When you feel the pulse of "Peek A Boo" from Toxic, or dance to "Mere Dholna 3.0" from Bhool Bhulaiya 3, or feel the warmth in Faheem Abdullah's "Ehsaas", that's Vaibhav's production shaping the beats and mood. Along the way, he's built lasting creative partnerships with Bollywood music veterans like Pritam, Amit Trivedi, Amaal Mallik, Armaan Malik, Vishal Mishra, Akhil Sachdeva and Raftaar.
"Songs from Dev D were the ones that made me fall in love with music and I had a fleeting dream of someday meeting Amit Trivedi, the music director. But never in a million years did I imagine I would get to work for him or any of these big names of Bollywood. That was a dream come true!", Vaibhav exclaims.
This brings us to "Hivde Ro Haar," his newest milestone on Coke Studio Bharat Season 4. Working alongside rising vocalist Mohammad Faiz and Rajasthani folk veteran Mame Khan, Vaibhav took on both composing and producing duties this time around. He reworked a traditional Rajasthani composition, composed an entirely new second half with lyrics by Faiz himself alongside his siblings, Sahiba Khan and Emaad Ali, and wrapped the folk melody in a fresh, contemporary electronic sound.
As the only non-Rajasthani creator on the track, Vaibhav approached it carefully, keeping the emotional core of the folk tradition intact while smoothly adding his distinct sonic signature. What came through is a song that respects where it came from, while still sounding unmistakably fresh.
Vaibhav Pani has always been a musician first, long before he became known as a producer. He plays guitar, bass, and keys, and performs live finger-drumming on sample pads. He has contributed backing vocals on several records too, and made his formal composer debut back in 2023 with "Kyun Karu Fikar" which, interestingly, was also Disha Patani's debut in a music video.
Currently Vaibhav is preparing to step further into the spotlight, with more original compositions and a return to performing live. He's currently shaping a live electronic show that blends guitar, synths, and vocals with high-energy beats, essentially bringing his full musicianship into one performance .
So the next time a song catches you off guard, in the best way, take a second look at the credits. There's a good chance Vaibhav's name is right there, waiting to be noticed.
