Ruuh and Joh, the sibling duo redefining the Indian music scene, are making waves with their soulful melodies and cinematic flair. From chart-topping soundtracks like Call Me Bae and Mismatched Season 3 to their viral hit Gumshudah, these dynamic composers are blending modern rhythms with…Read More
Discover how sibling duo Ruuh and Joh are revolutionizing Indian music with hits like Gumshudah, Tere Dil Ka Raaz, and Yaara Tere Bin.
What do you get when you combine a sibling duo with a knack for heartfelt melodies, a dash of cinematic flair, and a legacy rooted in India’s iconic disco era? Meet Ruuh and Joh, the dynamic composers behind the hit tracks of Call Me Bae, Mismatched Season 3 and creators of soulful anthems like Tere Dil Ka Raaz and Yaara Tere Bin. With their first tentpole releases for Amazon Prime, Netflix India and Dharmatic, this duo is making waves in the music world—and they’re just getting started.
Ruuh and Joh’s story is more than just about crafting great music; it’s about carrying forward a family tradition. Their father, Vijay Benedict, was the voice behind legendary disco hits like I Am A Disco Dancer and Zindagi Meri Dance—tracks that defined an era. Inspired by his incredible legacy, Ruuh and Joh grew up immersed in music, learning early on to balance humility with the drive to seize opportunities. “My father’s music is iconic,” Ruuh reflects. “If I achieve even a quarter of what he did, I’ll consider it a success.”
The duo’s sound is a masterful blend of contemporary vibes and classic influences, creating music that resonates across generations. Whether it’s their soulful singles or their chart-topping soundtrack for Call Me Bae, Ruuh and Joh bring a unique energy to everything they produce. Tracks like Baatein and Yaara Tere Bin highlight their chemistry, while their collaboration with singer-songwriter Shai on Tere Dil Ka Raaz showcases their versatility.
But their journey isn’t just about chart-topping hits. Ruuh has a rich portfolio of work that includes award-winning projects like the Cannes Lions-winning Thomas Cook campaign, viral TikTok tracks, and documentaries for Nat Geo and Discovery. From the glamorous world of fashion and comedy to soundtracking heartfelt stories, Ruuh and Joh’s career reflects their dedication to crafting music that leaves an impact.
In this exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Ruuh and Joh open up about their creative process, their father’s influence, and their plans to shape the future of music.
Here are the excerpts:
How did you come up with the idea for Gumshudah? What inspired the melody and lyrics?
The idea for Gumshudah started with JOH working on the music and beat first. Once that foundation was set, we developed the lyrics and melody. We wanted to incorporate both English and Hindi, and that duality really shaped the concept of the song. It was a very free-flowing and immediate process—one of those moments where everything just clicks. In fact, we ended up writing and composing the entire piece in just a couple of hours, which is always a great sign. After that, we sent it over to Smithy, our lyricist, to refine the lyrics. And that’s how the idea and composition of Gumshudah came to life.
You mentioned that Gumshudah was initially created just for yourselves. How did it transition into becoming a part of Mismatched Season 3?
Yes, we originally wrote Gumshudah as a song we wanted to release ourselves because it had a completely fresh sound—something that doesn’t exist in India, especially in Hindi. We really wanted to push this new vibe out there. Then, by some twist of fate, someone happened to play it for the showrunners of Mismatched. They listened to it and absolutely loved it! In fact, they had gone through several songs before coming across Gumshudah and immediately asked if they could use it for the show. It was all so serendipitous! What’s even crazier is that they didn’t give us any brief or ask for a single change. The song was used exactly as it was, in its original form.
The song blends modern rhythms with heartfelt lyrics. How did you approach achieving this balance during the composition process?
We actually came up with the melody first, even before working on the beat. The beat we ended up writing to was incredibly exciting—fresh, new, and youthful. It had this vibrant, young energy that we wanted to capture. At the same time, we aimed to make the song’s entry feel deep and emotionally resonant, while still being relatable to a younger audience. That’s why we included words like ‘forever maybe,’ which evoke a unique mental space. But then, when the song kicks in, it’s something you can totally dance to, you know! So, I think our idea was to create this kind of a balance and I’m so glad the fans and everybody understood it and vibed with it.
The song blends modern rhythms with heartfelt lyrics. How did you approach achieving this balance during the composition process?
When Gumshudah was locked for Mismatched, the showrunners and the Mismatched team invited me to Jaipur to go watch them shoot Gumshida and it was absolutely wild to be there and to see people dancing to your song and to see the fans waiting outside the auditorium and all of the cast together.
I think it was like such a great experience. Also, I must give it up to both Rohit and Prajakta because they’ve done such a phenomenal job and not only just promoting Mismatched as a show but also promoting the music and it’s so good to see that, you know, a song that we just wrote, like my brother and I just wrote together is a song that’s blowing up on the internet right now. So, yeah, thanks to everybody that has hopped on the reels and has hit play a bunch of times.
Fans have praised Gumshudah as your best work yet. How do you feel about this reception compared to your previous hits like Yaara Tere Bin and Baatein?
Thank you so much. The fans really make it all worthwhile for us. Whether it’s a slow song or a big, upbeat track, it’s entirely up to them how they want to enjoy and vibe to it.
For us, it’s all about creating bangers and hits—that’s what we aim for. But ultimately, the fans decide what they like and what they don’t. We’re just here to make music. We’re so grateful that they embraced Gumshudah and that they’ve also loved Yara Tere Bin and Baatein. These songs mean a lot to us, and we just want to thank the fans for listening and supporting our work.
The track has become a fan favourite. What do you think makes Gumshudah so special and relatable to audiences?
Yeah, you know, I feel like it’s a really young sound. It’s something we developed to be fresh, new, and in tune with what people vibe with—especially the younger generation, who love to enjoy themselves. It’s a very free-spirited song.
I think what Gumshudah brings to the table are lyrics that people can relate to, much like the show itself, which is also very relatable. The music and the sounds we’ve used sonically allow you to just be yourself. I think that’s probably why the fans really connect with and enjoy the song
Mismatched has a legacy of delivering iconic music like Aise Kyu and Kho Gaye. How did you ensure Gumshudah matched or exceeded the high expectations of fans?
So, Mismatched is known to have some of the best music on an OTT show and I’ve really enjoyed the music. I mean, they’ve got great music. However, when we make music, the only people that we’re competing with are ourselves.
We’re trying to do the best song possible. We’re trying to top whatever we’ve done in the past and keep getting better. So, I think there was no pressure from, you know, from that sense.
We were just making music that we really, really enjoyed and we really vibed to and we always hope that everyone that listens to our songs can vibe to the same way. So, for us, it was actually pretty easy. We just did what we did.
The chemistry between Dimple and Rishi adds so much depth to the track. How did the storyline influence the mood and tone of your composition?
We wrote this song long before we knew anything about the series, and we were given no brief at all. The song was used exactly as it was, but it turned out to fit so well with multiple storylines. In the series, when you watch it, you’ll see that two characters, Garima Yajnik’s character and Alif, actually end up doing the dance to it.
But also, I think the song has become a kind of love theme between Dimple and Rishi, which works really well. It’s a dance song, but it also carries a love element, and I think that’s what makes it so special.
As siblings, how do you work together to create music? Do you each focus on specific elements, or is it a completely collaborative process?
So, I think we have understood what and how things work between us. Fortunately, we don’t have any disagreements. We actually just want to make great music together.
So, it’s really, really easy to make good music when you’re in tune with somebody. And when it comes to composition, it is a collaborative process because the thing is, you know, sometimes I like something and RUUH won’t and then we rework it and it goes vice versa. So, it’s most important to like, you know, hear and respect what each has to say.
What challenges did you face while creating Gumshudah, and how did you overcome them?
I think the only challenge we faced was that we forgot to eat lunch that day. That was probably the biggest challenge because we had so much fun making this song, haha!
As I mentioned before, we don’t overthink our music. We write really quickly. Some of our biggest songs—like Baatein from Call Me Bae—were written in about 20 minutes. Gumshudah was written in a day. These are songs we create when we’re feeling inspired, and we just put them down, happy with what we’ve made. After that, we hope people will feel the same way we did when writing it.
So, we didn’t really face any major challenges. But remember to drink water, everyone (haha)! We’re always looking for the next best thing when it comes to music and sound.
Your music often resonates with younger audiences. How do you ensure your tracks stay authentic while being universally relatable?
We’re always on the lookout for the freshest sound—something that resonates with the generations, something people will enjoy. Our goal is to create an absolutely fun and energetic vibe.
We’re really happy right now that most of our songs are youth-driven and have a very fresh sound. What we usually do is create music based on what we listen to and enjoy ourselves. If we like it, we hope the fans do too—and I think they do.
Also, I’d say our music is very Gen Z—it’s young, different, and that’s what helps us stand out.
How has your journey as composers evolved, from creating music for shows like Call Me Bae to achieving viral success with Gumshudah?
Our journey actually began on January 13th, 2024. This year, we released our first song ever, Kho Gaye, featuring Adarsh Gaurav. After that, we put out a couple of songs with Savera and Taruk, and then Call Me Bae came along.
We never expected our music to blow up the way it did. We knew the songs were good, and we really loved them, but to see people give us so much love, to see every song from Call Me Bae chart and every song from Mismatched chart—it’s crazy. That’s something you can’t really do for yourself.
In just 11 months, we’ve accomplished so much, and it’s absolutely wild. We couldn’t have asked for a better reception to our music. We’re so grateful that people choose to listen to it and vibe with it. Overall, the journey has been incredible, and definitely not something we could have anticipated.
Indie music seems to be undergoing a renaissance. How do you see your role in shaping this movement in India?
Yes, the independent sound and iPop have been making waves, not just in the non-film part of our industry, but also in the film industry. You’re hearing songs like the music from Gehraiyaan and Kho Gaye Hum Kaha, and what’s beautiful is that people are accepting this music. They’re eager for a new sound and are open to it.
It’s an exciting time for up-and-coming young artists because it gives you hope that you can stay true to who you are and still achieve commercial success. For example, we never thought a song like Yara Tere Bin would be part of a massive Dharma production series like Call Me Bae. We never expected that. But for it to hit so hard and do so well—it’s absolutely crazy. That sound is something a lot of people are connecting with.
As we’ve mentioned, we want to keep pushing new sounds. So, a song like Yara Tere Bin is different from Gumshudah, and when you hear our next couple of releases, they’re going to be completely different too. I think that’s what’s driving this movement in India.
To every new artist wondering whether their sound will work or not, I believe the only way to find out is to try. That’s the only way you can stand out. Well, here’s to 2024!
What’s next for RUUH and JOH? Are there any exciting projects or collaborations you can share with us?
2024 has been absolutely crazy, but I can tell you for a fact that 2025 is going to be even bigger. We’re kicking off the year with a release featuring Nikita Gandhi, and trust me, this song is an absolute banger.
We also have a song coming up with Yohani. On the film side, we’re really excited about a series we’ve been working on called The Royals, which will be on Netflix. It’s a massive, multi-star cast with Ishaan Khatter, Bhoomi Pednekar, Zeenat Aman, Nora Fatehi, and Chunky Pandey. It’s going to be a larger-than-life series.
And we’ve got a whole set of bangers lined up. What’s going to be even wilder is the collaborations on these tracks—they’re just crazy, and we’re beyond excited for what’s to come.
If you could describe Gumshudah in three words, what would they be?
I’d describe Gumshudah like how we describe all our music. A straight-up banger.
Do you have a favourite memory associated with creating or seeing the success of Gumshudah?
A core memory that’s really special for both of us is when the cast and Netflix invited us to be a part of their press tour for the promotion of Mismatched. We got to visit several college festivals, and performing Gumshudah live on stage, with around 4,000 kids singing it back to us just 4-5 days after its release, was an overwhelming experience. Seeing actual fans connect with the music, singing and dancing with us—it was incredibly special.
What makes it even more special is that we started with just the two of us—writing and composing the music. To see it reach hundreds of thousands of people, on their phones, on their playlists—that’s something truly extraordinary.
Many fans are recreating the viral reel featuring the song. Have you tried making one yourselves?
We’ve seen the viral reels, and we can’t be more excited about it. We absolutely love the one that Rohit and Prajakta did. In fact, we tried to recreate it with one of our favorite content creators, Zervaan Bunshah, and fortunately for us, it hit half a million views as well.
We’re really enjoying seeing people create and watching trends form around our song. It’s so exciting, and we can’t wait to see what’s ahead. People have been using Gumshudah in so many creative ways—like with their fit checks or even adding hundreds of thousands of emojis. It’s such a good feeling and a great reception. We couldn’t ask for more.
A huge thank you to everyone who listened to Gumshudah! Thank you.
