Vishal-Shekhar, formed in 1999, is an Indian music producing duo comprising of prominent musicians Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. They regularly compose music for Hindi films, many of which have gone on to be blockbuster hits. Although Vishal Dadlani is the lead singer of indie electro-rock band Pentagram and Shekhar Ravjiani is a classical singer, the two compose music across multiple genres. The duo is widely regarded as the architects of modern Bollywood music.
Movie CareerVishal-Shekhar made their Bollywood debut in 1999, composing music for
Raj Kaushal`s Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. The musical duo shot to prominence a few years later, when their music for
Sujoy Ghosh`s critical hit
Jhankaar Beats (2003) was widely appreciated. In 2004, they bagged the RD Burman Award for New Music Talent for their works in the movie, which led to the two receiving offers to compose music for numerous more movies. Their next notable project came in 2005 with the multi-starrer
Dus. The movie was a commercial success and Vishal-Shekhar`s work in the movie was lauded. Later that year, they composed music for the
Saif Ali Khan and
Preity Zinta-starrer
Salaam Namaste.
After composing music for notable Bollywood films like
Taxi No. 9211 (2006),
Bluffmaster (2006), and
Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), the duo worked on
Om Shanti Om (2008), starring Bollywood icon
Shah Rukh Khan and Bollywood debutante
Deepika Padukone. The duo won a lot of praise for the movie`s music, won Best Composer at the Asian Film Awards and was nominated for Best Music Director at the 2009 Filmfare Awards. The year 2011 saw the release of the
Shah Rukh Khan-starrer
Ra.One and a breakthrough for music in Bollywood. The music composers of the film Vishal-Shekhar collaborated with American R&B and rap icon Akon for the song Chammak Challo, which won an IIFA award for Best Song Recording and received two Filmfare Award nominations as well.
The years 2013 and 2014 saw Vishal-Shekhar rack up two Filmfare award nominations for Best Music Director for
Student of the Year and
Chennai Express, respectively. In 2016, the composers, once again, worked with Shah Rukh Khan on his blockbuster hit
Fan. Later that year, they were involved with another blockbuster hit
Sultan, this time starring the bad boy of Bollywood,
Salman Khan. The duos other 2016 releases include
Banjo,
Akira, and
Aditya Chopra`s
Befikre,
starring
Ranveer Singh and
Vaani Kapoor. The duos 2019 project includes War.
The duos 2020 release includes
Baaghi 3.
Independent ProjectsVishal-Shekhar composed the theme song for the Indian Premier League in seasons three, six, and seven. The duo has also composed the theme song for IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders. The musicians have been judges for multiple reality TV shows including Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star, and Indian Idol Junior. Vishal-Shekhar has also performed at numerous concerts and events all over India and even abroad.