Right from their name to their music Manmeet and Harmeet Singh aka Meet Bros seem to debunk every musical rule in the Bollywood book. Nobody would guess that men behind the jugalbandi Jogi Singh Barnala that propelled them into the limelight, to the dance anthem Baby Doll and now, High Heels, are self-taught musicians. Hailing from a business family, they smirk that it was not the legendary Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, but a bad singer that inspired them to make a career in music. In a no-holds-barred interview with the musician brothers, they talk of superhits, splits and making music in the age of fast food...

What made you settle on a name like Meet Bros?
In college, we had short-listed around 16 names, which included Tandoori Brothers, Band of Boys, Band of Brothers, Bhangra Brothers and Punjabi Brothers. We then decided to take a part of our names Harmeet and Manmeet and call ourselves Meet Brothers or Meat Brothers. That's how Meet Bros came into the picture.

Artistes like Honey Singh and Badshah got instant recognition. Did that ever bother you?
We are happy that a new genre has been discovered. In fact, with High heels, we have gone into their zone and made a successful song. So we are doing their kind of stuff, but they can't make our kind of music. And that's good for us as it makes us multi-talented and versatile.

How challenging is it to work with a newbie as opposed to established artistes?
We use newbies for most of our songs or at least make sure there is one new person in every album. Nobody meets aspiring artistes here. We've experienced that and didn't like it. So, every month, we keep a day dedicated to listening to new talent - lyricists and singers - who are free to walk into our studio.

All your songs since Baby Doll have topped the charts. Do you have a better understanding of the music that works today?
We don't understand what people mean when they say that our music is the one that works. What's different about us is that our music is happy. We're Punjabis, so the beat is bouncy and the melodies are in the happy zone. Hum khud hi itne excited hain, ki wahi dhune aati hai aur aadmi wohi jaldi pakad leta hai. You don't listen to a sad song when you wake up in the morning, but you can listen to a Baby Doll anytime of the day.

So, sad songs aren't your forte...
Of course, we can. We made a sad song for the movie Dilliwali Zaalim Girlfriend but it didn't work. Hum sad song ke bina khush hai.

You seem to be taking pride in not learning music.
It has been a blessing in disguise. We are making music for people who are so simple, they don't understand complex music. So, we prefer to keep our melodies simple; they are more like poems that can be grasped and sung by even a kid. Today's youth is spoilt for choice and digitally advanced, there is a new song almost every week.

How different are you both from each other?
We are 90 per cent alike, but the 10 per cent difference is actually our strength. We are still learning about each other even after so many years. Manmeet is patient, I am aggressive.

Has Anjjan parting ways with you left a void?
There will always be a void because we had the best time together, especially during the struggle period. But right after he left, we were neck deep in work that we completely moved on. We never had any issues and we still are good. He felt overshadowed and left out by our crazy and loud personalities. Also, he realised that wherever we went, people only spoke about Meet Bros. It can become frustrating for one person in a trio to go through that every day in life. He wanted to be on his own and that's when we decided to cut the cord. We helped him with whatever we could when he was trying to establish himself as an individual artiste.

We have seen several duo parting ways. Do you fear the same?
We have been brought up as friends. We have each and every clause written and signed. It''s not that Bhai hai toh chalta hai. It's too practical for conventional relationships.We have a memorandum of understanding and are on the same page emotionally and personally, too. We would never raise our voice while talking to the other. Our focus is on how to control our aggression and evolve as artistes. We are best of friends. Where is the need for brotherhood? Underwear and wives chhod kar, we have shared everything, including girlfriends.

At a time when Arjun Kapoor is being associated with action, stunts and khatra as he forays into TV, Mirror has learnt that the actor has another debut of sorts up his sleeve. Arjun had shot for a recreated version of “High Heels“, the hit 2012 single by Honey Singh and Jaz Dhami's, for R Balki's upcoming romcom, Ki and Ka, with co-star Kareena Kapoor last year (Mirror, October 29). Now, he will be seen rapping in another version of the song which has been specially shot for a music video. Composed by the Meet Brothers, the rap version was recorded and filmed earlier this month in Mumbai. Arjun underwent vocal training before taking over the mic. “Bhushan Kumar, who had the rights of the original song, wanted to release it in a new avatar. Arjun trained diligently with the composers for fourfive days before the recording,“ revealed a source close to the development.

When contacted, the 30-year-old actor confirmed the news, saying, “Yes, I have done a special rap. The Meet Bros, Bhushan and Balki sir thought it would be a cool addition to our song. It was a lot of fun being behind the microphone too.“

Kanika Kapoor has been singing in the industry for barely 18 months and already has a roster of hits to her credit, starting with Baby Doll to Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan. Her latest song for Hate Story 3 is a departure from her style. Excerpts:

How did Neendein Khul Jaati Hain happen?
It was one of many songs that I am doing with Meet Brothers. It is one of my favourite songs. I loved singing it for Hate Story 3. It is quite an edgy song written by Shabbir Ahmed, the way Nachan Farrate is in terms of singing. Singing with Mika Singh was fun as usual. I have sung it edgy and he hasn't so it's a good mix.

What is your equation with the Meet Brothers?
They have always looked out for me and have been bringing me great numbers. For some reason, the Meet Brothers, Kumaar, Shabbir Ahmed and my chemistry works together. Whatever we do, whenever we sit and jam together, something amazing comes out. It's magic. They are one of the most talented music directors I have worked with. There's something special about them. My first song with them was Baby Doll (Ragini MMS 2). But I have known them since we were kids. They were in school with my brother in Gwalior. I have known them since I was 12 years old. They are family to me. I know their wives and friends.

Which musicians do you listen to?
I listen to all kinds of music depending on the mood. I love more soulful Sufi music. My favourites are Shubha Mudgal and a load of Pakistani singers. When I was a kid, I used to listen to Mariah Carey's Hero in a different way. Now I listen to musicians in a different way to understand the technique. There has been a lot of learning from these singers.

Would you sing a Sufi song for a movie?
I did Chhil Gaye Naina (NH10) and Jugni Ji with Dr Zeus. I am trying to do more and more as much as I can. I am quite new right now - I have been singing in Bollywood for 18 months - so I am trying to go with the flow and sing what I can.

Would you act too?
If Shah Rukh Khan tells me that he wants me to act with him, I will jump on it.

You've been doing a lot of live shows lately.
I have been doing a lot of live shows all over the world. I am going to Bangkok this week, and then heading to Paris and Dubai. Last week, I did a show in Lucknow. When you have people screaming for you and they love you, it's amazing to see what music to do to someone.

How important is it for a singer to look good?
It's very important for anyone from any field to dress well and look appropriate. As for me, I love dressing up. The kind of singer that I am, it suits my style. I like to be comfortable yet young and quirky in dressing.

What's in the pipeline?
I am doing a song for a Hollywood film set to release next year. I just launched a single with Sunny Leone called Super Girl From China. We are both in the video. It was fun shooting with Sunny again. I have a song in Kya Kool Hain Hum 3. There's something coming out from Ekta Kapoor's stable with Sunny again. We have Mastizaade and the song Love Letter in the film The Legend of Michael Mishra. Then, there's Udta Punjab which I have sung for Alia Bhatt with Amit Trivedi. I have sung it in a completely new avatar. The sound is very earthy.

How did Dance Ke Legend happen?
I met Meet Brothers through a friend at their studio. When I met them, it didn't feel like we were meeting for the first time. They are very humble and down to earth people. I found them to be quite the friendly sort. I was asked to try out a couple of their compositions. A few weeks later, I was called to their studio to sing Dance Ke Legend for the remake of Hero. It's a duet with the composers themselves so I was on familiar territory. I had a fun time singing the song with Harmeet and Manmeet. The song goes well with the film and the choreography too.

What is your equation with Meet Brothers?
It's been a year since I have known the two prolific singers and composers. I was glad to work with them and would love to do more work with the duo. Their humility is what I like the most about both of them. I am so glad they chose me to sing this song. I performed for the first time at Hard Rock Café with Meet Brothers and it was an experience to remember.

How has your journey in Bollywood been so far?
I am glad to be a part of the film fraternity in its 100th year by singing Ram Chahe Leela (Ram Leela) for which I will always be grateful to Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I am trying to sing several genres. Songs like Dance Ke Legend, the title track of Carry On Maratha and Gaddar (Punjabi song) with Harbhajan Mann. There are many regional as well as Bollywood songs in the pipeline. I would definitely want to work more in Bollywood music. I want to sing and explore all kinds of numbers, meet different people and learn from them.

Tell us about your family.
I hail from a family in Baroda. Everyone has always been inclined towards music. My father was an employee of the Indian Railways and loves to sing. My mother is a folk singer. It took over three years after being part of a reality show to land a big song like Ram Chahe Leela. Fortunately, I have had a family that has always stood by me. From a very young young age, they've taken time off their work to take me to singing contests. When I figured in the top rankings of the show, everyone expected me to immediately get a lot of work. But I knew this struggle would be hard and I needed patience although veteran singers and film stars like Bipasha Basu and Preity Zinta had said they wanted me to sing for them. I did have many live shows in the interim with the best names from the music industry. In between, I heard taunts from people for three years after Indian Idol, where they used to point how someone has landed a film song, while I didn't. I'm fortunate that I got a big break at a young age with Ram Chahe Leela and another song now like Dance Ke Legend.

How important are looks for singers today?
We need to look our best when we're singing on stage, but it also depends on where you're performing live. If you're performing at a religious function, you'd be wearing an anarkali or a ghagra, while a college event requires you to be dressed more western. I was to perform at a college function and had thought I'll wear leather pants, a leather jacket and boots. When I got there, I realised I didn't have my leather pants with me. I then decided to team up my leather jacket with shorts from my nightwear! Thankfully, it worked.

What was the brief for Tutti Bole Wedding Di?
Director Anees Bazmee sir briefed Meet Brothers that he wanted a full-on Punjabi number for Welcome Back. Manmeet from Meet Brothers called up and said, 'Let's do this song.' I was given the brief that it's a dhamaal peppy gaana. I was thrilled because we are all Punjabis. That's what I tried in the song. All the songs I have sung in Bollywood till date are all Punjabi. Ishq Bulaava (Hasee Toh Phasee) was romantic, Ungli Pe Nachalein (Ungli) was a Punjabi number and Yadaan Teriyaan (Hero) is a Punjabi sad song.

How did Yadaan Teriyaan happen?
Jassi Katyal, Dev Negi and I had made the song last August and pitched it to Karan Johar. He liked the song and he archived it for his bank. He gifted the song to Nikhil Advani for the remake of Hero. They wanted a song like Lambi Judai that featured in the original. Yadaan Teriyaan features in the same situation as Lambi Judai. Johar sir locked my voice because he felt I sound like Reshma who's sung the original. He heard the dard in my voice. Being from Punjab, I sing Sufi kalam and Pakistani songs in live shows.

What's your equation with Meet Brothers?
I used to sing a lot of sad and romantic tracks but since I have started jamming with them, I am more into that peppy zone. They are super cool. Everyone knows they are good with rap and dance. I have learnt a lot about this kind of music after having worked with them for a while.The atmosphere in their studio is so good that it feels like family. Everyone is jamming and playing around with sounds.

How did you start off in Bollywood?
Though my roots are in Punjab, I was born in Delhi. I belong to a musical family. My parents, Subhash and Anju Goyal are musicians. Bachpan se main tutla tutla ke gaane gaati thi. I would be around them during their recordings. I used to sing songs of those times like Tu Tu Tara (Bol Radha Bol) so my parents knew that I would become a singer when I grew up. They trained me. I started participating in music competitions at the state level from the sixth standard itself. When my parents used to perform, I would wonder why I wasn't on stage with them. I was so eager that my first show was in Class 12. I am two years old in Bollywood playback. In fact, I turned 24 years old on September 25. I did my graduation in classical music from Hindu College in Delhi. I shifted to Mumbai two-and-half years back. God has been great that I got a chance to sing with good banners. I made my debut with Vishal-Shekhar's Ishq Bulaava and have constant support from people like lyricist Kumaar and Meet Brothers.

Do you like living in Mumbai?
After coming to Mumbai I feel like I can't live anywhere else. I am so much in love with it. The vibe of the city is such that once you get attached to it, you can't let go. This is a sentiment you will hear from other people who have come from different cities. Even when I travel for shows, the moment I land in Mumbai, I feel like I am home.

Which composer would you like to sing for?
A R Rahman. If I sing for him, I know he will bring out a different texture in my vocals.

Which artistes do you admire?
I really like Beyoncé. Everything about her ­ her singing, performance and the way she carries herself on stage ­ is mesmerising. I like listening to the ghazals of Ustad Ghulam Ali sahab. I have learnt a lot while listening to the songs of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab.

Who are your friends in music?
I have lots of musician friends.Kumaar sir is my mentor in Bollywood. He's a great support to me and other fellow musicians. I was a novice when it came to playback singing and it was a challenging task. He taught me about beats, rhythm and how much weightage should be given to specific words.

How important is social media to you?
I realised the importance of social media when my fan page got hacked and deleted. It made me aware of how many fans I had lost touch with since the days I was singing in Punjab. My fan page is up now and it helps me connect with my followers.

Singer-composer Anjjan of Meet Brothers Anjjan fame seems to have parted ways with brothers Manmeet and Harmeet Singh. He now goes by the name Aanjan Bhattacharya.

Aanjan has known the Meet Brothers for over a decade now and formed the trio, which has delivered hits like Baby Doll (Ragini MMS 2), Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan (Roy) and Hangover (Kick). Says Aanjan, “We are doing our own projects now since I got a couple of solo offers.“ He is quick to clarify that they parted ways amicably. “Sometimes, in music there are some things you can't explain. If someone wants to do different things while living in the same house, it doesn't mean the house is broken,“ adds Aanjan. Before this development, they had composed a track together for an upcoming Bollywood entertainer. On the solo front, Aanjan has composed two film songs already and has a few more projects.

Their fathers Shatrughan Sinha and Amitabh Bachchan have given blockbusters like Dostana and Kaala Patthar together and were pitted as arch rivals at one time. Today they are friends. We have exclusively learnt that Sonakshi Sinha will soon be dancing to a song in Abhishek Bachchan's All Is Well. This is the first time that Sonakshi and Abhishek will share screen space. The song on the lines of Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan will once again be composed by Meet Brothers and sung by the super talented Kanika Kapoor and choreographed by the extremely creative Ahmed Khan. Bhushan Kumar's All Is Well is a family film directed by Umesh Shukla and is slated for release August 21. Sonakshi and Abhishek, we love this Dostana

Kanika Kapoor, 33, has been through a lot in life. While the song Baby Doll changed her life forever, she opens up to Bombay Times about her best and worst times with exhusband Raj Chandok, her most supportive father and why she can never forgive Dr Zeus for what he has done to her. Excerpts:

Tell us about your background?
I am a Khatri, who was born and brought up in Lucknow. We were pretty well off and had a big traditional joint business family. I fell in love with my Punjabi ex-husband Raj Chandok, who was my London cousin's best friend. I met Raj at my cousin's wedding at Khajuraho. I got married to Raj and moved to London when I was only 18. I was a normal papad achaar housewife, had three kids and was happy playing a mother to them, till we separated about five years ago and finally divorced three years back. Raj and his family are a family of doctors. They own a chain of nursing homes and have a property company past 35 years and are very wealthy. I travelled the world and saw a good life with him. But I decided to move on, as he was with someone else. Now we have come to terms with our divorce and are back to being friends. He is the father of my children and is now supportive of everything I do.

How did Baby Doll happen?
I grew up learning classical music right from the age of six. At 11, I was singing pure classical on the All India Radio. At 12, I started doing shows with Anup Jalota, who is like a second father to me as he is my father's childhood friend from Lucknow. At 17, I came to Mumbai to launch myself as an artiste and cut an album with Lalit Sen. I have done my Masters in music, so I can read, write and teach Indian classical music. I had converted my garage in Lucknow into a studio, where I would sing and record. I had no plans to get married, but I fell in love with Raj. My mother was really happy as he was both, educated and rich, and she was only too thrilled that I would not get into Bollywood. So, I turned into a proud housewife, but still loved singing. On my tenth wedding anniversary, I asked him for a present. We were sort of going through this turmoil in our relationship, as he was cheating on me. I was very upset, he said sorry and admitted to it being a mistake. We decided to renew our vows. I told him, 'I don't want any diamonds or any other present. I just want to record my own album.' That had been a dream for me. He agreed. We looked for a producer and found Dr Zeus (real name Baljit Singh Padam from Birmingham). He said he would charge us 5,000 pounds per song and would make me an album of eight songs. He is basically someone who is an arranger, who only knows how to put a beat. Raj paid him the money and I started going to his studio once a week in Birmingham to record. One year passed and he could not make a new song for me. A year later, I was really depressed and started going through a bad period. Raj's girlfriend, who was also married and a Pakistani, came in front of me and said, 'Stop your husband if you can.' I even spoke to her husband, but he didn't believe me. Raj and I would fight all the time and for 2-3 months, I did not go to the studio. Eventually, a friend of mine introduced me to a song, Jugni, originally sung by Arif Lohar of Pakistan, and I got Dr Zeus to remix the song against my vocals. We made a cheap green video with me, Dr Zeus and some dancers against my ex-husband's Ferrari in flat 10 hours and put it up as a free download. This was January 2012. The video became a big hit and got three millions hits. By July, Raj and I had separated and in October, I won the best British Asian award. I have known Manmeet (who is like my rakhi brother) from Meet Brothers from when I was a child in Lucknow, as he was with my older brother in Scindia boarding school. We have jammed together as kids. Early 2013, I got a call from him saying that Ekta Kapoor had heard my voice in Jugni and liked it and I had been called for a trial for Baby Doll. I was going through a dark, dirty, awful divorce at that time and was completely down and felt suicidal. Not only had I been rejected as a girl by my husband, after the success of Jugni, the world started spreading shitty rumours about me, of how I had left my husband and was allegedly dating a dirty uncle that was completely false. That really put me down even more. People in my social circle stopped talking to me and I was discarded as a person from society. But I learnt a lot at that time and today, I am a totally different person.

How have you and your life changed now?
From a simple middle class girl in Lucknow, I became a part of London's high society, where all I did was bitch over Nobu lunches and lived at the plush apartment in Central London at Mayfair. Marriage exposed me to a fancy life of another level and that kind of took over me. I was materialistic, egoistic, vain and was full of myself, to the extent of being borderline arrogant. The money, the kids, the lifestyle all made me stay with my husband for a long time, till it became too much to go through personally. I am actually a normal simple-hearted small town girl, who has been exposed to a lot and has been through a lot very early in life. I am extremely hard-working and extremely passionate. I now live with my three kids (one son who is 11, and two daughters who are 10 and 7 years old) at a small apartment in Knightsbridge. My mother has moved to London and the both of us look after my kids. my kids.

Who was your emotional anchor?
I have a spiritual guru in London past six years, who I would go to every week and cry in front of and all he ever said to me even in my worst was, 'It's all okay. It's not a big deal. You still have so much.' Also, my parents and brother really supported me. My mother is today my best friend. My father is my backbone. Seeing me have a nervous breakdown, he suffered a severe heart attack and almost died. But I remember once when I was 26 and depressed as hell, I asked him what can I do now. After my third baby, I was more than chubby with curly hair, was wearing a pink Chanel jacket suit with big diamonds in my ears and he said to me, 'Kanika, you have become a Punjabi aunty at 26. Why don't you get up and do something that you love? Maybe that will bring you happiness.' Today, I am not into Chanel bags, but I am happy. My kids today are so proud of me. They are innocent, but mature, good children. And we are friends and we are growing up together.

How did you feel winning the Filmfare award for best singer?
Winning a Filmfare was very prestigious and it changed my world. All the Punjabi aunties back in London, who probably called me a call girl, now meet me, take photos with me and post them on their Facebook accounts saying, 'We are very proud of you Kanika Kapoor.' And you know, I feel really sad. I sometimes cry because I know that I am alone. I had been used to a very fancy life, but from living in Central London it suddenly became from hero to zero. And honestly, I started working to support myself. From travelling in a Ferrari, I have no car right now. My last car given to me by me ex-husband was a Range Rover, that too got stolen in the week of Baby Doll. I could not come for the launch of Baby Doll music to India as I was in hospital. I was very ill and had to undergo surgery. I literally touched the lowest in my life. And post the release of the song, within a month, my life just changed. Since then, I must be working 14 hours a day along with trying to being a mother. I have forgotten about what the world thinks and what people have to say about me. Today, I just focus on my work. I know that it is now or never. I started working to just secure myself financially. I didn't want to be someone's mistress. I didn't want to constantly go and ask my parents and brother for money to buy an expensive bag. I could never have imagined that from being a Punjabi aunty with three children, I could have ever become a pop star. And on top, I had that terrible reputation and that too for not having done anything wrong, except suffering from middle class morality as they say. And I didn't have a boyfriend. I have not had a man since I left my ex-husband. I'd love to have a man and proudly show him off. I deserve a man who will be nice to me, and look after me and respect me. I couldn't believe when I sang Baby Doll and it became a hit. I feel that the song was made to change my life. I knew no one in Mumbai, had no PR, but I felt like there was someone looking after me. I don't know how things are happening to me. But I do know that I am a sincere and hardworking person.

Talk about your relationship with Dr Zeus today?
Meet Brothers sent Baby Doll to 3-4 arrangers for a beat idea as they do for every song. They did not finally choose the beat Dr Zeus sent. For Dr Zeus to say that I am the producer of the song is bullshit. What made me more angry was that he had taken 40,000 pounds from me and wasted my time. At least when I was married, I had the money, but he knew about my downfall and knew that this album could have got me work. But even then, he wasted my time and did not make any songs for me. He fooled me and then he turned around to me and said that his manager Vivek Nair had taken all that money and left. So, he was sorry and that he couldn't make the album. I thought he is wrong. He had taken white money from me. Then without my permission, he took my voice, put my name on iTunes and sold my song Jugni without my consent and made money on it. He is a complete cheat in your face. He thought this girl is so weak anyways what will she do to me. So I have nothing to do with him now. He had cheated me at my lowest and I know that God will punish him someday.

Sonu Nigam's 1999 song Deewana Tera has been adapted in Sunny Leone starrer Ek Paheli Leela. The film that sprawls out in two distinct time periods will see the reprise version set in the modern era. Picturised on Jay Bhanushali, Sunny will feature in the song's dream sequences. This version recreates the ditty in Arijit Singh's voice and has been composed by Meet Brothers. Jay said, “The film will open with this song. I play a struggling singer who will be seen shift

Tell us about Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan from the film Roy.
We are overwhelmed. Kanika Kapoor sang Baby Doll from Ragini MMS 2 for us. She's like our younger sister and has been through a lot in life. Although it marked her debut in Bollywood, we'd been friends with her much longer. Her voice was apt for Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan and we work well together, so she was the obvious choice to sing the song. Lyricist Kumaar is our other longtime lucky collaborator. He did a good job of making a Punjabi party song that is also being played at weddings. Just like Sunny Leone became synonymous after appearing in the video for Baby Doll, Jacqueline Fernandez is getting a new image after she was seen in a refreshing new light in Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan so we're hoping it does for Jacky what Baby Doll did for Sunny. The video has also been shot like a Hollywood musical. Jacky is daydreaming as the song begins and then she joins the dancers for a jig on the street. We make an appearance later on. We have even introduced a bit of trap music in the intro. The rapping portions sung by us are signature Meet Bros Anjjan - light-hearted and merging seamlessly with the rest of the song.

How did Beparwah happen?
The makers had initially planned to make Baby a songless thriller but then producer Bhushan Kumar called us in because he wanted a song that reflects the theme of the film. He has a great ear for music and knows exactly what will click with the audience. We came up with Beparwah as an ode to the attitude of the film's characters. It is quite a departure from the happy-go-lucky numbers we usually compose, although we'd like to believe every song we come up with is different. We gave the song an operatic feel. Newcomer Apeksha Dandekar has sung the song like a diva. She is one singer to watch out for, after Kanika. Her voice has the right amount of sensuality to represent Esha Gupta who has upgraded the song with her appearance in the video. Lyricist Manoj Muntashir managed to convey the various on-goings in our country that the attitude of the film and, like the makers of the film have stated, history is made by those who give a damn.

What have you guys been up to in the past year?
We started off composing jingles at an FM radio station. We have dabbled in everything from singing, rapping, performing live to composing songs in a variety of genres. Over the past year since Baby Doll, we've come out with Hangover (Kick), Pink Lips (Hate Story 2) and Party Toh Banti Hai (Bhootnath Returns).

What was it like working with Salman Khan?
We'd like to think we showed fans a new side of Salman when he sang Hangover from Kick for us. He is so hardworking that he recorded the song three times. It's always great to work with Salman. We'd love to compose for him again in the future.We also enjoyed working with vocalist Mohit Chauhan and Punjabi actress Khusboo Grewal recently.

You have an MBA Swag version on every soundtrack?
Tell us more about it. MBA Swag stands for the Meet Bros Anjjan version of a song we've composed. It is our own unique take on a track. While the main track is composed according to the brief of the makers, this version lets us play with different styles, infuse electronic beats, add some rapping, change the feel and also make it a dance number that people will enjoy. We try to do all this while retaining the melody and words of the original.

What's next?
We've been busier - and happier - than ever this year. In 2015, we plan to release 40 new film compositions, most of them in the first half of the year. Up next are songs from Mastizaade and Ek Paheli Leela. Our non-film album will be out in August. Right now, we are focussing on live shows. We enjoy performing in front of the audience. It gives us immediate feedback. We prefer composing singles rather than the entire original soundtrack of a film since we can focus on our own music and shows. Singles allow us to add our touch to an album.

The Baby Doll song from Ragini MMS 2 made Kanika Kapoor one of the hottest Bollywood singers of 2014. Even as she goes on to win several accolades for this catchy ditty; another international singer Dr Zeus has accused the music composers Meet Brothers of plagiarism. Kanika speaks on behalf of the composers

DR ZEUS' QUOTES ON SUZI MANN'S SHOW
“To be honest, it's quite a sad story on my side. To be honest with you, it was called 'Barbie Doll' originally, but had to be changed due to copyright reasons at the last minute. I was asked to do the Baby Doll song. I recorded all the vocals in my studio with Kanika, I produced that whole song.Then Meet Brothers turned around to me and said, 'We're the producers of this song'. I said, 'What have you done?' So they said to me, 'We made the composition.'“ Dr Zeus went on to explain to Suzi Mann, “It's a law in India that if you're a composer, you're credited as the producer. But to be honest, it's these kinds of things that are frustrating under the Indian law. They don't make sense to me under English law of music.“

As for Lovely, Dr Zeus went on to ask Suzi if there is anything on that track that sounds like a Vishal Shekhar composition.“Vishal-Shekhar co-wrote a little bit of the verse on Lovely, but that's it. I explained the Baby Doll situation to Shah Rukh Khan and he promised me that I would get credited and he would shoot a remix video with me. It still hasn't happened, but to be fair, he's a very busy man and I understand that. And to be honest, I can't complain. When they launched the track Lovely, Shah Rukh called me and Kanika on stage. I still got appreciated despite what has happened to me in this whole Baby Doll and Lovely scenario. Hopefully, I'm making an impact in Bollywood, touch wood. I have loads of tracks that are just me and I have some big backers out there.“

KANIKA'S QUOTES LATER ON THE SUZI MANN SHOW
“I actually don't know what you're talking about. No, I don't think so, that's not the right thing to say. The track was written, composed and produced right in front of me in the Meet Brothers studio in Mumbai. It was written by Kumar and it was done in front of me. If they took some help on music production from Zeus, then that's between the two of them. It was certainly not produced by Zeus. You cannot credit somebody for the wrong thing. It was composed - the song, the melody, the lyrics, everything in front of me. The credit firstly goes to Kumaar who wrote the song.What made the song was the lyrics. We do respect Dr Zeus.“

Last week, a video, shot by a bunch of Balochi (people from Balochistan, a province in Pakistan) musicians was the talk of the social media. Reason: Their song sounded exactly like the Sunny Leone chartbuster from Ragini MMS 2, Baby Doll.


The video was uploaded on November 23 and the Twitterati was quick to pass judgement against the Meet Brothers, the composers of Baby Doll, quickly deeming them 'plagiarists'.

When Mirror spoke to Manmeet, he sounded bewildered: “It's the Balochi version of Baby Doll, so what?“ When probed on his 'inspiration' he retorted  “I was the one who shared the Balochi song on my Facebook profile when it first cropped up. It was a moment of pride for us as this was proof that our music was crossing boundaries. Like several international versions of our songs, this one too is a cover version by this particular troupe which routinely does such things.“

He pointed out that copyright rules are pretty simple.“If their song was an original there would have been some evidence of its digital existence prior to Baby Doll's release. You think we will go all the way to Balochistan to do a song for Ragini MMS 2!“ he argued heatedly.

The singer and composer added that they had recorded Baby Doll last March when Ekta Kapoor had called asking for for a peppy number for Sunny Leone. “It's sad that instead of celebrating the fact that are music is transcending all barriers, we are being called cheat. Have our people lost complete faith in our own musical talent?“ he lamented.