Mumbai: Music composer-producer duo Salim and Sulaiman have launched the latest edition of their annual musical project, Bhoomi.
Originally introduced in 1999 with a futuristic vision, Bhoomi was revived in 2020 and has continued to return with a fresh season each year.
For Bhoomi 2025, the brothers have curated an impressive lineup: a Gujarati Krishna pop track with Parthiv Gohil; a classical-pop number with Shankar Mahadevan; a romantic ballad with Shaan; a high-energy dance track featuring Sonu Nigam and Paradox; a soulful love song with Papon and Shreya Ghoshal; a Kashmiri composition with Noor Mohammad; a Punjabi anthem with OAFF, Burrah, Krish Mondal, and Sudan; an Uttarakhandi song with Pawandeep Rajan and Hansika Pareek; an evocative ghazal with Hariharan and Prithvi Gandharv; and a powerful ballad with Arijit Singh.
For Sulaiman Merchant, curating Bhoomi has always been guided by instinct and curiosity rather than sticking to a single style.
“We have always tried to do different things, explore genres, and discover new artists. When we started, it was mostly folk and devotional music; then we ventured into pop. We’ve experimented with hip hop, EDM, and now it’s a rich mix of everything. Next year, we hope to explore Malayalam, Tamil, Odissi music, and venture into the far east, like Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland,” Sulaiman shared.
Salim Merchant emphasized that the project isn’t about checking boxes, but about valuing every artist’s contribution equally. “I don’t distinguish between legends and newcomers. We’re all students of music,” he said, adding, “This mix reflects my taste and personality—I love tradition, I love the contemporary, and I enjoy fusing both.”
This season will bring Bhoomi’s total song count close to sixty. Over the years, it has delivered chartbusters such as Chhaila, Mayavi, Jaan Le Gayi, and Haq Ali. It has also revived traditions, including the 400-year-old Mughal-era bandish Ja Ja Re Apni Mandirva, and transformed Sukhwinder Singh’s heartfelt rendition of Chidiya Da Chamba, a bride-farewell song, into a stirring orchestral folk epic.
The Gujarati pop track with Parthiv Gohil was released about a week ago, while the remaining songs will be gradually unveiled throughout the year.
