However, being in the big league of music directors wouldn’t mean that the duo gives up doing the background score for films —where it all started. “In fact the experience of doing the background score comes very handy in gauging the pulse of the film, while making music,” says Salim.

It’s difficult to forget the haunting background score of Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘3 Deewarien’, and Salim wishes there were more people who acknowledged the importance of the background score of a film. “The background score is all-important in creating the mood in a film. It’s strange how it gets a step-motherly treatment in the country,” laughs Salim.

Things, hopes the music director, would surely look up in future. “It’s very difficult for us to stop doing background scores because that is we belong to it. There are very few composers who both want to and can create quality background music,” adds Salim. We are not complaining.