Music composer Salim Merchant, who along with his brother Sulaiman has composed music for over a decade now, having scored for films such as Rab Ne Bana Di Jori and Fashion (both 2008), says, it’s a “very rough time for our Cancer patients”. “Our hospitals are completely overwhelmed and there is a lack of ventilators. I really hope and pray that the pandemic slows down or vanishes because the Cancer patients who are already suffering will need to be rescued. The pandemic is making things difficult for them, and doctors and nurses. I am praying that they don’t catch the infection because they are immunocompromised. I hope that people are able to give them love, care and support,” he says.
Salim and Sulaiman, were both part of a recent online concert to create awareness and lend support to Cancer patients during the wake of Covid-19. Salim says, “It’s very historic for me because it’s been exactly 10 years since we performed for the Cancer Patients Aid Association in 2010 and it’s been an ongoing journey for us since then to support this movement of no tobacco. We raise money for the association’s patients so they get aid for their ailments.”
When asked if he’s hopeful if Mumbai will be able to wade through this crisis, he says, “Mumbai is a small area for so many people. To curtail the pandemic in the city is going to be most difficult. However, I want to thank our government. BMC is taking lots of precautions and helping Covid patients find beds and treatment. Younger people can still fight it back with their immunity. But old people need care especially those with chronic ailments such as diabetes, Cancer and other breathing problems. The containment work which is going on in the slums is incredible, I know it’s difficult to create social distancing in these areas, because they are highly populated. People in Mumbai are extending their helping hands to those who are fighting with Covid19. The spirit of Mumbai is so phenomenal, I believe that we will fight this in time.”
{{/usCountry}}When asked if he’s hopeful if Mumbai will be able to wade through this crisis, he says, “Mumbai is a small area for so many people. To curtail the pandemic in the city is going to be most difficult. However, I want to thank our government. BMC is taking lots of precautions and helping Covid patients find beds and treatment. Younger people can still fight it back with their immunity. But old people need care especially those with chronic ailments such as diabetes, Cancer and other breathing problems. The containment work which is going on in the slums is incredible, I know it’s difficult to create social distancing in these areas, because they are highly populated. People in Mumbai are extending their helping hands to those who are fighting with Covid19. The spirit of Mumbai is so phenomenal, I believe that we will fight this in time.”
{{/usCountry}}Throwing light on how the pandemic has affected their work, the 45-year-old, says, “Live concerts are at a standstill and it will be at a standstill for a while now. Sulaiman and I moved our studio and we have a few equipments at home. Just a couple of weeks back, we released a song called Maalik Mere on the occasion of Eid. We managed to pull it off from home. We have kept our spirits high, we have kept our passion intact and we have kept our working from home continued.”
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