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From Haryana to Hollywood: Banjaare brothers say Spider-Man collaboration is their biggest milestone
Brothers Sumit and Anuj Kumar get candid about their recent collaboration with Spider-Man: A Brand New Day
The Spider-Verse has been infiltrated by two Indian brothers, who have managed to capture Peter Parker aka Spider-Man’s heartbreak and turmoil in their Haryanvi track Barsaat. Created by brothers Anuj Kumar and Sumit Kumar, Barsaat is, according to the brothers, their biggest milestone so far. “We are super excited about the collaboration. From Haryana to Hollywood, it has been an amazing journey. This is the biggest milestone of our career,” says Sumit.
What makes it even more special to the brothers is that the track is written in their native language. “Haryanvi was always considered a secondary language. Even certain schools during our childhood days used to fine students for talking in Haryanvi. And now the same language has made it to Hollywood,” says Sumit. It does not happen every day that you get to collaborate on an international film, but this also comes with certain pressure. “When I heard about the opportunity, I was happy for an hour, and then it was all work,” says an elated Anuj with a smile on his face.
The duo, Banjaare, are known for their super hit track Bairan that grossed over 265 million views across all social media platforms. Much like a sequel, Barsaat was initially planned to be a response to Bairan. “After the release of Bairan, we got a lot of messages that the song delves into what a man goes through [during heartbreak]. But what about the female perspective? And this was lying in our minds for a long time. So, subconsciously, that thought gave birth to Barsaat.” However, when the makers reached out to the brothers, they decided to rewrite it through the eyes of the film’s main character, who is himself going through a heartbreak and is dealing with his personal turmoil.
Sumit and Anuj have not been trained formally, but their love for music and the Covid-19 lockdown made them realise their true passion. Their rawness and the sense of experimentation give them their unique style. Ask them about their process, and Sumit quickly responds that they don’t really have one. “Each song is treated differently. We don’t have a set routine that we follow. In Anuj’s words, ‘pehle creativity ka hathoda padta hai aur fir art banti hai’. When we crack the initial idea of what story to tell through the song, we then sit and make a structure and get going.”
From Haryana to Hollywood, the brothers have had an amazing journey so far. Their positive attitude and approach have landed them multiple offers even from Bollywood. However, Anuj says only one thing didn’t happen: “The only thing remaining from this collaboration is that we haven’t received a call yet from Tom Holland and Zendaya,” Anuj concludes with a laugh.
