When Sumit and Anuj first started making music together, they could hardly have imagined that a Haryanvi heartbreak song they created would eventually find its way into Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s promotional campaign in India, breaching Marvel Cinematic Universe, with over 12 million fans listening to it. But that is precisely what has happened.The brothers, who perform as the indie duo Banjaare, are currently riding a popularity wave after their song “Barsaat” became part of the promotional campaign for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. A collaboration video features Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland) and his heartbreaking moment after MJ loses all memory of him following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Peter’s distance from MJ and his best friend Ned forms the crux of the latest film.“We are having a lot of fun. What we wanted to do has happened. People are finally accepting it. It feels really good,” Sumit and Anuj discussed in an interview with SCREEN about the Spider-Man collab.“Barsaat” was never written as a Spider-Man song. The track had initially been released independently through Sony Music and was told from the female perspective. However, it caught the attention of Sony Pictures Entertainment India and Sony Music India, who asked the brothers to collaborate on a male-perspective version for the Spider-Man India campaign.For Banjaare, the moment is less about suddenly becoming part of a Hollywood franchise and more about seeing a song they had already believed in find an entirely new audience. Their journey began far away from film studios and music labels.‘We were the odd ones out’Sumit and Anuj come from a family who have largely worked in government service as teachers. “We’re the odd ones out,” they said.But music had always been around them. They sang in school and college, and Sumit remembered being bitten by the “music bug” as early as third grade. Still, it was only during the COVID lockdown that the brothers began seriously considering music as something they could pursue professionally. They started experimenting and eventually releasing their work. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Banjaare (@official_banjaare) The early phase was far removed from the attention they are receiving today. They made songs, put them out, and waited for the audience to listen. Then came “Bairan”. Several artists, including MC Square’s brother Saksham Bainsla, AP Dhillon, Romi Hooda, and Masoom Sharma, hailed the brothers, while millions of users recreated their versions on Instagram.Story continues below this adThe song became the first major turning point for the brothers, followed by “Barsaat”. Both songs occupy an emotionally vulnerable space, built around heartbreak, longing and loss, triggering a barrage of Reels and personal stories on social media. What makes the songs deeply relatable is how they are not confined to a particular gender.No real-life incident behind emotional lyricsIn an age dominated by algorithms, several artists prefer to routinely study trends. However, Banjaare claim they work differently.When asked whether the emotional nature of “Bairan” and “Barsaat” was partly driven by their potential to resonate on social media, the brothers explained that their songs come from whatever they happen to be feeling or thinking about creatively at that moment.“Art gets created, and you don’t always know why you’re saying those things at that moment,” Sumit and Anuj said.Story continues below this adThere isn’t necessarily a real-life incident behind every lyric, either. They resist the idea that every song needs a neatly packaged backstory. “You can create a story around anything, but there isn’t one,” they added.Sumit, 28, and Anuj, who is turning 24 soon, describe their creative process as instinctive. They have made plenty of music about subjects other than heartbreak too. But “Bairan” and “Barsaat” were the songs they chose to release partly because they wanted to explore the same emotional world from two different perspectives.When listeners started sharing about their livesThe strongest indication of their impact isn’t necessarily the number of views. It is what listeners do after hearing the songs. The brothers shared that they have received messages from people sharing personal stories of heartbreak and relationships. Some told them the music helped them heal. Others said the songs helped them let go.For Banjaare, that emotional connection matters more than simply seeing a number climb on a screen. “The biggest thing is that they felt comfortable enough to tell us,” Sumit said. That vulnerability is also why the songs have crossed boundaries. They are not exclusively “boy songs” or “girl songs”, nor are they aimed at a particular generation.Story continues below this adSignificance of the name “Banjaare”“Banjaare” is an Indo-Aryan word derived from Sanskrit. According to Rekhta, the word refers to a hilly tribe who carry grain, salt, etc.The brothers revealed the significance of their music duo name. They explained the tradition of “chaap chhodna”, which means leaving a signature in a song, particularly in its final verse. Traditionally, writers would put their names into their compositions as a way of leaving behind a mark.They initially considered using their individual names but felt it did not work. Then came Banjaare. The name, they shared, appealed to them because it evoked both storytelling and travel, which are two ideas that felt central to what they wanted their music to represent. “It fit everywhere,” they said.If there is one thing Banjaare want to challenge, it is the image of Haryanvi music. For many listeners outside Haryana, the genre has long been associated with local performances, dance numbers, and the popularity of artists such as Sapna Choudhary.Story continues below this adBut the brothers argue that this is only one small part of the region’s musical tradition. “Haryanvi music has always been clean. It is very clean and very good,” they stressed.However, the problem, they believe, is not a lack of good music but what listeners choose to hear. “You can’t put all of that responsibility on the artist. You also have to take responsibility for your own choices,” they said.Reclaiming a mother tongueThe brothers stressed that Haryanvi, like several other Indian regional languages, suffered because communities themselves began distancing from their mother tongues. They point to a period when speaking regional languages could be viewed as unsophisticated, even within the communities that spoke them. Educated and influential sections of society increasingly moved towards languages they considered more prestigious.“Now, especially on social media, people only listen to well-promoted songs. They don’t listen to art. They don’t listen to raginis,” they said.Story continues below this ad“They may have heard that one song by Masoom Sharma about being a gangster. They may not have heard his romantic songs. They may not have heard his devotional songs. They may not have heard his motivational songs. They may not have heard “Baitha Bal,” they added.Also Read | ‘Living my dream’: Deepali Sahay on singing for A R Rahman-Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas AaungaSumit and Anuj argued that a rich cultural and literary tradition became less visible. “If you read Haryanvi literature, it’s incredible. There have been so many great poets here who have done so much. It’s impossible to explain everything without making it sound smaller than it is,” they said.They invoke figures such as Dada Lakhmi Chand, Mehar Singh and Baaje Bhagat, whose poetry and raginis remain central to Haryanvi cultural history.“Once you’re there, listen to Dada Lakhmi Chand and Dada Mehar Singh’s raginis,” they said.Story continues below this adSocial media made regional cool againThe brothers see the internet as a major reason regional languages are experiencing a revival. With smartphones, cheap internet, and social media, artists no longer need to wait for a traditional gatekeeper to decide whether their language or sound is marketable.YouTube and social platforms have allowed audiences to discover music directly. The brothers believe this has also changed the perception of speaking in one’s mother tongue.“Even today, when Diljit sings, he sings in Punjabi. He is respected everywhere. But Haryanvi people themselves didn’t accept their own language. Nobody organised shows for it. How will art develop if artists don’t develop? Artists need examples. Someone has to invite them, respect them and give them recognition. Only then will the art grow,” the brothers said.“At one point, we saw a peak with Dada Lakhmi Chand. Then states were formed on the basis of language, and after that came our decline,” they added.Story continues below this adThey cite the example of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra speaking Haryanvi publicly after his success as an important cultural moment. “Every language will get its turn,” they said.Don't Miss | ‘Bajre Da Sitta’ to ‘Faqeeran’, how Rashmeet Kaur is leading Punjab’s folk revivalTheir own musical influences are proof that they don’t see regional music as a closed ecosystem. The brothers shared that they grew up listening to ragini, Punjabi music, Bollywood and poetry. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Shiv Kumar Batalvi are among the artists they cite, alongside Haryanvi and Hindi poets and folk traditions from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.They also mentioned electronic music producers Skrillex and Fred Again, explaining that music can influence them even when they don’t necessarily understand every word. “You understand the vibe,” they said.Mainstream music industry and regional musicWhen asked if the mainstream music industry is creating enough representation for regional music, the brothers said, “There is no longer a system where someone has to give you an opportunity. YouTube exists. You can listen to whatever you want and consume whatever you want.”“There are no barriers anymore. As for Bollywood, Bollywood is trying in its own way. And when we go there, we’ll try even harder,” they said.That philosophy also explains why the brothers don’t have a list of “dream collaborations”. They stressed that they don’t want to collaborate with someone simply because the person’s name would make the song bigger. “If we need an artist for a particular song, we’ll work with anyone who fits that song. We don’t have a list of people we absolutely have to work with. We can’t force it and say, ‘No, we have to work with this person,” they said.Sumit and Anuj’s message to listeners is uncomplicated. “Stay connected. You won’t find disappointment,” the brothers concluded.