Salim Merchant on Sidhu Moosewala’s last song: He said he needed more time

Soon after Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s death in May, we had reported that composers Salim-Sulaiman were looking forward to releasing a single with him in June. Now, the composer duo will drop the song, Jaandi Vaar, on September 2, as a tribute to Moosewala, 28. “It feels surreal that Sidhu is not around. This song was supposed to release on June 8 and he was assassinated on May 29. I can’t explain what we went through,” shares a downhearted Salim Merchant.

Remembering how the track worked out, the 47-year-old adds, “In 2021, Afsana Khan (singer) suggested that we work with Sidhu. I had a Punjabi composition, so I went to Chandigarh to meet him. When I played the composition to Sidhu, he said, ‘Sir, mujhe thoda waqt de do. I will definitely sing this, but I will need time to prepare.’ I figured that Sidhu preferred singing his own lyrics and composition. I listened to one of his songs and loved it. It was a sad love song and I connected with it instantly. So, I composed some notes for the female part (sung by Afsana) and the song went on to become Jaandi Vaar.”

Salim took to social media to share that some proceeds from the song’s earnings would go to the late musician’s family. “We connected with his company, which is a platform where you can own a part of the song for a certain amount of money. So, every time the single makes money, we get equity. I felt that was a great way of creating a fund that can be donated to Sidhu’s family. This is a way for me and Sulaiman (Merchant) to pay respects to his family and to keep Sidhu alive in our hearts forever,” he ends.