Tashfee’s ‘Bollywood’ breakthrough
As Tashfee makes her debut in Bollywood with “Sajan Re”, The Daily Star catches up with her about the new adventure, and what lies ahead.
The singer says the project began simply through friendship. Having long admired composer Sanjoy Deb’s work, she did not hesitate when he asked her to come into the studio and record. At the time, however, the song had not yet taken the form audiences now know.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. “Nothing was fixed yet,” she said, recalling that Badshah and Nora Fatehi were not initially part of the plan. That early spontaneity eventually grew into a much larger production, one that marked her debut in Bollywood music alongside major names. Rather than being overwhelmed by the scale of it, Tashfee remembers the experience as “super fun”, adding that the unexpected nature of the opportunity made it even more special.
Tashfee’s involvement in “Sajan Re”, a collaboration led by Sanjoy Deb and later joined by Badshah and Nora Fatehi, marks a significant moment in her career — one that arrives as Bangladeshi musicians slowly gain greater recognition on the international stage.
The moment also reflects how far she has come since her early appearances on platforms such as “Wind of Change”. Looking back, Tashfee sees not only growth but also a shift in mindset. She says she now feels far less concerned with proving herself than she once did.
Over the years, some listeners have referred to her as the “Adele of Bangladesh” — a comparison she meets with amusement rather than discomfort. Tashfee says such labels do not trouble her, understanding that audiences often want to connect with a familiar voice. While she finds the comparison flattering, she also makes it clear that being recognised for her own style matters most.
There is, however, no sense of complacency in that confidence. If anything, she sounds like an artist increasingly aware of how much more she wants to say. She speaks of having countless songs and ideas still waiting to come to life. “I think I have a different intention though, and overall a deeper understanding of storytelling than before,” she said when asked about how she feels about her musical journey.
This sense of self-definition extends to how she thinks about first-time listeners. Tashfee does not approach music with a fixed agenda or a carefully manufactured project. Instead, she says she wants her voice to leave behind a feeling of comfort — something warm, moving and emotionally generous. As she puts it, “My first priority will always be to move and entertain my audience.”
At a time when Bangladeshi artists are slowly gaining broader international visibility, Tashfee sees both possibility and pressure at the moment. She believes such recognition is long overdue, but she is equally open about the realities of building a creative career from Bangladesh, where artistes often face additional barriers simply to sustain their work. Rather than discouraging her, those challenges seem to strengthen her resolve. She speaks about representing the country with pride, and with the determination to keep pushing forward.
When asked to define the next phase of her career in a single sentence, Tashfee offers an open-ended answer: she wants enough opportunities to keep her thinking about what comes next.
It is a fitting response from an artist who seems uninterested in being caged in — by genre, by labels, or by expectation. For Tashfee, the journey appears to be about continuing to grow, surprise, and never stay stagnant.
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