Bapi (right) and Tutul at their Mumbai home

Bari-ta studio hoye jachchhey,” Tutul Bhattacharya sounds almost apologetic for the sound of music well past midnight.

Together with brother Bapi, Tutul has been making music in Mumbai since 1992. But it is now that the sibling duo is getting heard. Proof: Khosla Ka Ghosla.

If the other Bengali boys in Bollywood, Pritam Chakraborty and Shantanu Moitra have found mentors in Aditya Chopra and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, for Bapi and Tutul Bhattacharya, it is RGV. “We met Ramuji in 2000 through friend Sushant Singh (Jungle). The meeting lasted an hour-and-a-half. Perhaps what worked in our favour was that we can make music on any subject — be it romance or an earthquake or plain air. That comes from our years of experience with jingles.”

The result was Bhoot.

Consider starting one’s musical career in an almost songless film where the hero fears his wife has lost her marbles. But Bapi-Tutul rose to the occasion, even giving Usha Uthup her return ticket to Bollywood. “Though there were only two promotional songs in the film, we are very sentimental about Bhoot, especially Yeh din hai na yeh raat,” says Tutul.

Their most cherished moment, however, remains Amitabh Bachchan hugging them after the screening of Sarkar. The background chant Govinda Govinda weaves a greater aura of dread about the man than any exhibition of physical violence could. “When Ramuji told him we were the ones who had done the song, he exclaimed, ‘Mind-blowing work’.” For the boys from Muzaffarpur who had grown up buying Bachchan movie tickets in black, that was their crowning glory.

The song also was a musical milestone. “For the first time, Hindi cinema was using a song as a vocal orchestra. Even Kailesh Kher was part of a 30-member chorus. The song itself was the julus.” Tutul admits that having actors appreciate the music of a film acts as a booster. “Sushmita (Sen) also had great words of praise when she came for the music release of Paisa Vasool. She understands music, gaaner chorcha kore…,” Tutul says.

But their greatest accomplishment has been getting Pandit Jasraj to sing for them, in Ek Hasina Thi, that too after 45 days of calling in vain. “On the 45th day, he took my call and gave an appointment at his Versova house. He was busy with puja when I reached. The electronic tanpura was on. When he finished, I started singing Chah bhanwar trishna neend ayena in Raga Puriya Dhaneshri. Perhaps Goddess Saraswati was riding my voice that day. He simply said, ‘Bahut achhey bandish hain. Main gaunga issko’. Not a word about remuneration!”

Hopes are pinned on Chak de phat de in Khosla Ka Ghosla, the marching song of a group of pehlwans going to demolish a building. Another unusual situation to make music for, but then they are like that only.