‘Controversies catch us unawares’

doweshowbellyad=0; Salim and Sulaiman Merchant. (TOI Photo)Salim and Sulaiman Merchant admit that they are low profile. In spite of a Chak De! India and an equally stellar body of work, they aren���t seen around much, no timely appearance on talk shows or hobnobbing at parties that matter. ���
You are so busy doing work that you forget about everything else.Besides, once a movie is released there is the usual publicity machine around it and one needn���t do anything more than that, really,��� says Salim. Sulaiman agrees, ���We are very private people. We don���t make a conscious effort to be in the news. Instead it���s the opposite!���
But a Chak De! India or an Aaja Nachle did get them the publicity, good or otherwise, didn���t it? ���The former was a great milestone in our career. We didn���t imagine the song would become a sports anthem of sorts,��� confesses Salim. Sulaiman says matter of factly, ���The music was film centric. We didn���t expect it to become so big.���
But the controversy over the latter did catch them unawares too. ���The song had a rustic feel. We didn���t think it would offend anyone. One is always afraid of getting caught up in a controversy but at the end of the day, it is the director and producer who have the final say on the song. It didn���t strike any of the team that this could be such a big issue and we had no dubious intentions. Ultimately, it was a comeback film of a huge star and it was in the limelight...,��� say the both in unison. The duo maintains that when they compose the music for a film, it is never about coming up with a chartbuster. ���A song should grow on people. Unfortunately, some songs are inserted into films just with the aim that they should rock the charts. That���s not our style,��� say the brothers.
Salim-Sulaiman also have a studio in Mumbai where they do a lot of non- filmi work, like composing for ad jingles and also pop numbers. Where do they find the time? ���We have been lucky with getting very organised directors who take only that much of our time that is needed. We are also judging a show called Chak De Bachche (9X),��� they say. Salim, who has a three-year-old daughter, Ayesha, says that judging this show has made him realise how fast children learn things and how keen they are to accomplish something.
Sulaiman likes to ���read and watch movies when he has some time off from work���, which he says he rarely does! Salim, of course, gets busy with his wife and daughter but both of them say that music has become an all-encompassing aspect of their lives. Which means, we will have more of those inspiring numbers from them, one after another!