Born to veteran music composer Sadruddin Merchant, brothers Salim and Sulaiman didn’t learn music; they practically inherited it. Having performed with their father as teenagers, the siblings took to the stage early in life. After several concerts and gigs around the world, they are now going to put up one of Bollywood’s biggest musicals. The tour, Bollywood Musical, will have the musical brothers recreate the magical moments from Bollywood down the ages.
“The show, Bollywood Musical will be all about reliving the golden years of Bollwood but with a newer, fresher perspective. The music will change, but the melody remains the same,” says Sulaiman, making it amply clear that though the songs will be played differently, they are not remixes. “A remix is essentially when you fuse it with a lot of electronic beats and music. We’re only talking about playing around with the feel of the song,” he adds.
A self-confessed fan of Bollywood music, Sulaiman admits that narrowing down to a few songs for the musical wasn’t easy. “We were spoilt for choice when we sat down to list the songs. But we’re going to try and incorporate a little bit of everyone, from Kishore and Rafi saab to Panchamda and Lataji,” he says, adding that it may open to audiences by October this year.
The duo, having composed music for some of the most successful movies like Chak De India, Band Bajaa Baraat, Fashion, etc, say music is a reflection of themselves. “Our music is a reflection of the lives we lead; our joys, sorrows, travels etc. When we’re happy, we make happy music; when we’re somber, we make slow music, and so on,” Sulaiman explains.
He admits that like most artistes, the siblings also have creative differences, but these have faded over time. “We have been working together for the past 20 years now. And that has brought with it better understanding of each other’s ideas. Besides, our work is very segregated. Salim is the one who composes and sings a little bit as well. I look into the production bit. We live separately, so the only place where we meet is the studio.”