Wild Side
Bollywood music composers Salim and Sulaiman now take on environmental and social issues through their music
Their songs vary in composition,music,style and mood,but the common strain in their music is its ability to inspire listeners. While the song Chak de! (Chak de!) evokes patriotism,Yeh hausla (Iqbal) gives the strength to continue with life’s struggles. Keeping up with their motive to inspire audiences with their music,music directors Salim and Sulaiman have put a tune to serious environmental and social issues.
With their song Yeh Mera India for Animal Planet,they seek to spread awareness about our country’s biodiversity and the need to preserve it. Another single,Sati,by the composer duo talks about the social evil prevalent in certain Indian communities that forces widows to jump into their husbands’ funeral pyre.
The song was composed for an episode of Coke Studio @ MTV Season 3. “It is a whole new side to us that the audience has not seen before — that of an average Indian. We feel the pain and pressure that every Indian is going through. Every time we switch on the news on television or pick up a newspaper,we see a new scandal revealed,a new uncertainty to deal with and a new mess,” says Sulaiman Merchant.
Yeh Mera India has been sung by Salim,June Banerjee and Nandini Srikar in Hindi,Bengali and Tamil. The video showcases the scenic beauty of India from the Himalayas to the wetlands of Odisha,the Sahyadari ranges on Western Ghats to the Bandhavgarh Forests in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. “Rare species such as the lion-tailed macaque,mahseer fish,goonch fish,Malabar pit vipers,dholes and gharials — wildlife that is unique to India — are also featured in the video,” says Merchant.
He adds that when India was fighting the Indo-Chinese war of 1962,many musicians came out with patriotic songs to reflect the tension faced by all Indians. In the same manner,the music produced by artistes today is also a reflection of the tension and agitation prevailing in the society. “We feel the urgency of the situation when it comes to preserving our natural heritage,which includes animals and forests in India,and the world. We also want to bring attention to ‘wrong’ practices in our society and ask people to make amends,” says Merchant.
The duo claim to be animal lovers and have pet chihuahuas. They have also composed a version of the Raghupati Raghav bhajan for Prakash Jha’s new film Satyagraha.
This apart,they have been preparing for their annual tour,titled The Chak De! Tour,for which they will be visiting Mauritius in mid-August.
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