Salim Sadruddin Moledina Merchant, popularly known as Salim Merchant, is a prominent figure in the Indian music industry. He’s a renowned singer, music director, and score composer, famed for his collaborations with his brother, Sulaiman Merchant, as the duo Salim-Sulaiman.

Wiki/Biography

Born on Sunday, March 3, 1974, in Mumbai, Salim Merchant is a Pisces. His ancestral home is in Mundra, Kutch, Gujarat. He completed his schooling at St. Peter’s High School, Mumbai, and pursued his graduation at KC College. His early interest in music stemmed from his father’s career as a music director. After graduation, he honed his piano skills at London’s Trinity College of Music and later learned the harmonium at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Delhi, under the tutelage of Ustad Sultan Khan.

Physical Appearance

• Height (approx.): 5′ 10”
• Hair Colour: Black
• Eye Colour: Brown

Family, Caste & Wife

Salim Merchant hails from a Muslim family. His father, Sadruddin Merchant, was a respected music director and leader of the Ismaili Scouts Orchestra in India. He shared a close bond with his mother. His brother, Sulaiman Merchant, is also a successful music director. Salim is married to Jeanne Micheal Merchant, a singer and lyricist, and they have a daughter, Ayesha Merchant.

Career

Salim’s career began with composing jingles for television advertisements. In the mid-1990s, he transitioned to pop music, producing albums for various artists. His collaboration with his brother led to their first Bollywood project in 1997, composing the background score for the film “Hameshaa.” Their breakthrough came with the background score for “Bhoot.”

Their work extends to numerous Bollywood films, including “Ab Tak Chhappan,” “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi,” “Dhoom,” “Neal ‘N’ Nikki,” “Kaal,” “Krrish,” and “Fashion.” Beyond composing, Salim is also a talented singer, contributing vocals to many popular Bollywood tracks. His song “Ishq Wala Love” from “Student of the Year” became a major hit.

The Salim-Sulaiman duo also created Bollywood remixes of Lady Gaga’s songs and worked on Enrique Iglesias’ music. They even composed for the Hollywood film “Sold.” Salim’s judging roles on “Indian Idol” and other singing reality shows added to his public profile.

Controversy

In 2019, a plagiarism controversy arose when Pakistani singer Farhan Saeed accused Salim Merchant of copying his song “Roiyaan” with Salim’s “Haareya.” Salim attributed the similarity to coincidence.

Awards

Salim Merchant has received numerous accolades for his music. Here’s a summary:

Favourite Things

Salim Merchant’s preferences include Japanese cuisine, grilled fish, and butter chicken. Among actors, he admires Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, and Riteish Deshmukh; and actresses Keira Knightley, Anushka Sharma, and Priyanka Chopra.

His favorite films are “Ab Tak Chhappan,” “Legends of the Fall,” and “Life is Beautiful,” and musicians include Sukhwinder Singh, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kailash Kher, and A. R. Rahman. He enjoys the works of singers Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal, and the book “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. His favorite restaurants are Kofuku Japanese and Tatami, both in Mumbai.

Facts/Trivia

• His hobbies include reading and playing Xbox.
• He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
• His favorite composition is “Yeh Honsla Kaise Jhuke” from “Dor.”
• His family name was originally “Moledina,” later changed to “Merchant.”
• His father was a veteran of the Telugu film industry and known as the “Mohammed Rafi of the Ismaili community.”
• His wife, Jeanne, was a renowned figure in Mumbai’s jazz music scene before their marriage.
• Since 2013, Jeanne runs a music academy for children.
• Salim-Sulaiman were nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2009.
• They recorded the FIFA World Cup anthem in 2010.
• Salim collaborated with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on a Qawwali project in 2016.
• He owns two pet dogs, Cookie and Daisy.