Hans Zimmer, Shashwat Sachdev and James Everingham team up for Virdee title theme
Two-time Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer has joined forces with India’s national award-winning composer Shashwat Sachdev for the title theme of the British TV series Virdee. The track also features Emmy-winning British composer and producer James Everingham, adding another layer to this high-profile cross-cultural collaboration.
A star-studded musical lineup
- Hans Zimmer — known for The Lion King, Inception and many landmark scores.
- Shashwat Sachdev — acclaimed for films like Uri and Article 370; now the first Indian composer to co-compose with Zimmer and the only Indian artist to release music under the Extreme Music label.
- James Everingham — Emmy-winning composer noted for work such as Apollo: Missions To The Moon.
Shashwat’s milestone and past work
Sachdev’s inclusion on this project marks a notable moment for Indian music on the global stage. His previous albums — Euphoria (And the Following Realities) (2021) and Shades of Cashmere (2022) — earned praise, with Euphoria winning the PRS Foundation’s Best Newcomer Award and his track “Dharma” taking the Best World Production Music Award at the 2021 Production Music Awards.
About Virdee
Virdee is adapted from A.A. Dhand’s gripping novels and promises a gritty crime thriller set in modern-day England. Directed by Mark Tonderai — whose credits include projects like Gotham and Locke & Key — the series stars Staz Nair, Aysha Kala and Kulvinder Ghir. The mood of the show dovetails with a brooding, cinematic score, making the choice of composers particularly fitting.
What the composers say
“The joy of composing across continents is realising that good sound doesn’t need translation — it just needs truth. From Mumbai to Los Angeles, it’s still the same heartbeat,” Sachdev said, calling the collaboration “humility, pride, and soulfulness all in one breath.”
Why this matters
This collaboration highlights how global entertainment is increasingly blending musical voices. Having an Indian composer co-create with Hans Zimmer and release under a major international label signals a widening acceptance and influence of South Asian talent in mainstream film and TV music. For audiences, it means richer, more diverse soundscapes that cross borders while supporting powerful storytelling.
