द बैकबेंचर्स ऐंथम

'The Backbencher's Anthem' is the title track of the IIZ: Indian Institute of Zombies (2026) soundtrack, a horror-comedy EP composed by Shine Jose with lyrics by Shellee. Featuring four vocalists — Shine Jose, Jaiditya Jha, Shantanu Raina, and Shellee — the song is an exuberant college anthem that celebrates the classroom's perennial underdogs suddenly finding themselves as unlikely zombie-fighting heroes. Available on Spotify and JioSaavn, the EP was released ahead of the film's May 15, 2026 theatrical opening.

Shine Jose — who has worked across Malayalam and Hindi films — brings an indie-pop sensibility to the IIZ soundtrack that suits the film's campus-comedy horror genre. 'The Backbencher's Anthem' is built on propulsive electronic beats with punchy synth-bass, a shouted chorus designed for group participation, and enough irreverence to match the film's tone. The multi-vocalist approach gives the song an ensemble energy appropriate for a film about a group of misfits.

Shellee's lyrics for 'The Backbencher's Anthem' work within the proud-underdog tradition of Hindi film comedy writing. The back-bencher as avatar of anti-establishment defiance is a long-standing archetype in Bollywood and Indian youth culture, from 'Three Idiots' (2009) onward. The song reclaims the insult 'backbencher' as a badge of honour.

Directors Gaganjeet Singh and Alok Dwivedi approached the IIZ soundtrack with an awareness that the film's appeal rests on its campus-comedy DNA — the music had to feel like it belonged to the students, not to a film producer. Shine Jose's indie background made him an ideal choice: his earlier work outside the studio system gave him the tonal freedom the film needed.

IIZ joins a small but growing tradition of Hindi horror-comedies that take their music as seriously as their scares. The Backbencher's Anthem, if the film finds an audience, has the potential to become a campus-anthem beyond its cinematic context.