Salim–Sulaiman

Life and early career

They were inspired by their father Sadruddin Merchant, who used to lead Ismaili Scouts Orchestra in India. Steeped in a family tradition of music as the sons of composer and veteran of the film industry Sadruddin Merchant, Salim mastered the piano on at the Trinity College of Music in London while Sulaiman took up tabla training with such legends as Taufiq Qureshi and Ustad Zakir Hussain. They emerged as popular composers only in 2003, six years after their first music composition for a Bollywood film. They received acclaim for the film score of Bhoot.

Salim and Sulaiman have been composing music for over a decade having scored for movies such as Neal 'n' Nikki, Chak De! India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Fashion. The duo had also composed for many Indi-pop performers including Viva, Aasmaan, Shweta Shetty, Jasmine and Style Bhai among others, composed and produced several TV commercials and collaborated with artistes such as Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Sultan Khan. After that, they have gone to do movies with well-known producers and directors like Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai and Ram Gopal Varma. They were predominantly composing background scores for movies, until the Karan Johar Kaal, for which their song compositions received acclaim.

Salim Merchant was one of the three judges for the Fifth season of Indian Idol on Sony Entertainment Television (India) .

They have worked on a Bollywood remix for Lady Gaga's songs Born This Way and Judas. They also worked on I'm A Freak By Enrique. The duo are also composing music for the Hollywood film Sold, produced by Academy Award winner Jeffrey D. Brown.

2010 FIFA World Cup

The musical duo collaborated with South African singer Loyiso Bala and Kenyan singer and songwriter Eric Wainaina to record the anthem for 2010 FIFA World Cup. The anthem is the song "Africa – You're A Star".

Indian Idol

Salim Merchant was a judge along with Anu Malik and Sunidhi Chauhan in season 5 and season 6 of Indian Idol. Salim has judged the second season of Indian Idol Junior along with Vishal Dadlani and Sonakshi Sinha. He is presently one among the four judges in the second season of The Voice India.

For background score only