Meghdeep Bose (MDB): The Young Music Producer Behind Bollywood Hits

Saurabh Tankha

At just 27, Meghdeep Bose—popularly known as MDB—has already made his mark in the Hindi film music industry. A singer, guitarist, music producer, composer, arranger and conductor, Meghdeep represents the new generation of multi-talented musicians working behind the scenes in Bollywood.

Over the years, he has collaborated on several popular tracks including songs from films like Hate Story 3, Airlift, Azhar and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Some of the well-known songs he has worked on include “Tumhe Apna Banane Ka,” “Tu Bhula Jise,” “Bol Do Na Zara,” “Jab Tak,” “Besabriyan,” “Kaun Tujhe Yun” and “Uff Ye Noor.”

The Break That Changed Meghdeep Bose’s Career

Meghdeep recalls that his breakthrough came while working with music composer Amaal Malik.

“In 2014, I used to do backing vocal arrangements for Amaal Malik. That was all he knew about my work initially. But in 2015, he overheard something I was working on at Yash Raj Films Studios and asked me to produce a song for his upcoming film,” he shares.

That song turned out to be “Main Hoon Hero Tera” from the film Hero. The track became extremely popular and marked a turning point in Meghdeep’s career.

“Since then, there has been no looking back,” he says.

The Game-Changing Track: Swag Se Swagat

Another milestone in Meghdeep’s journey was the chartbuster “Swag Se Swagat” from the film Tiger Zinda Hai.

“Till 2017, many people believed I was suited only for romantic tracks. Swag Se Swagat changed that perception,” he explains.

Interestingly, the song was completed within just a day and a half, yet it went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year and featured among the top chartbusters.

A Musical Legacy: Family Influence

Born and brought up in Indore, Meghdeep comes from a family with a rich musical heritage. His father, Dilip Bose, is a well-known singer and music composer among Hindi-speaking Christian communities.

“Being the fourth generation of musicians in my family, I grew up surrounded by music,” Meghdeep says.

Much of his childhood was spent in recording studios, accompanying his father during music sessions and observing the intricacies of composition and conducting. Later, the family moved to Bhopal where Meghdeep completed his schooling.

Growing up in such an environment came with its own pressures.

“When your father is already a respected musician, there is always the challenge of proving yourself. But that responsibility also pushes you to work harder,” he reflects.

Early Mentors and Musical Training

Meghdeep credits his school music instructor Abhijeet Raut for encouraging him to seriously pursue music.

Under his guidance, Meghdeep started learning guitar and soon began performing regularly at local recordings and stage shows. Gradually, he moved into the role of music arranger and programmer while working alongside his father.

At the age of 17, he decided to strengthen his musical foundation by studying Western classical music. He began learning piano from Fr Charles Vas in Mumbai under the curriculum of Trinity College London.

Although professional commitments allowed him to complete only Grade 6 in Western classical piano, the training significantly shaped his understanding of music.

Meghdeep also received Sangeet Sri from Rabindra Bharati University under the guidance of Madhuri Mukherjee and briefly trained in tabla and Indian classical vocals with Kiran Deshpande.

The Berklee Opportunity That Couldn’t Happen

In 2012, Meghdeep achieved a major milestone—he was selected for the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the United States.

He even received a Dean’s Merit Scholarship along with partial tuition support. However, financial constraints and lack of sufficient scholarships for music students prevented him from attending.

Despite the disappointment, fate had other plans.

Around the same time, he met renowned composer Raju Singh during an audition. Having already spent nearly five years training under his father, Meghdeep felt it was time to explore new opportunities.

Moving to Mumbai and Building a Career

In 2013, Meghdeep moved to Mumbai to work with Raju Singh as an assistant, arranger, programmer and music producer.

“I worked under him for about three years. During that time he also gave me the freedom to collaborate with other composers and grow as a freelancer,” Meghdeep recalls.

This experience proved crucial in shaping his career in the Hindi film industry.

Is Bollywood Open to New Talent?

When asked about the challenges faced by outsiders in Bollywood, Meghdeep offers a practical perspective.

“From my experience, the industry is welcoming. Where you come from doesn’t matter as much as the work you do,” he says.

According to him, success in the entertainment industry depends on consistent effort and creativity.

“You have to prove yourself every single day. In this industry, being stale means being forgotten.”

Upcoming Projects

Meghdeep Bose continues to collaborate with some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry.

His upcoming projects include music production work for films such as:

• Bharat with composers Vishal-Shekhar

• Student of the Year 2

• Helicopter Eela with composer Amit Trivedi

He has also worked on an international collaboration “Pop the Bottle” with Vishal Dadlani and global music producer Diplo.

Understanding Film Music: Songs vs Background Scores

Meghdeep also highlights an often misunderstood aspect of film music—the difference between song composition and background scoring.

“Both songs and film scores are music,” he explains. “But in many Indian films, song composers are credited under ‘music’ while score composers are listed separately as ‘background score’.”

According to him, this creates a misconception among audiences who often associate film music only with songs.

“A film’s background score plays a crucial role in shaping the emotional narrative. Ideally, films should credit composers as ‘Music – Songs’ and ‘Music – Scores’ so that both contributions receive equal recognition,” he says.

A Young Talent Shaping Bollywood’s Music Landscape

With his versatility and collaborations across major Bollywood projects, Meghdeep Bose has emerged as one of the promising young talents in India’s music industry.

For MDB, the journey continues to be about learning, experimenting and evolving with every project—a philosophy that keeps his music fresh and relevant in the ever-changing world of film music.