The recreated version of the iconic 1999 track ‘Chunnari Chunnari’ for the upcoming film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ has landed in a massive controversy. The original singer of the song, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, has openly criticized the remake and took sharp digs at lead actor Varun Dhawan. The singer did not hold back, stating that Varun relies on “second-hand” projects and can never match the stardom of Salman Khan, who originally featured in the blockbuster song from ‘Biwi No. 1’.
In a fiery interview with news agency ANI, Abhijeet Bhattacharya expressed his clear disappointment over the recreation. He highlighted the legacy of the original track, which was picturized on Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen. “Yeh gaana Salman ki life ka biggest song tha. Jab aayi thi, tab se ab tak trending hai. Salman Khan ki life ka sabse bada hit hai Chunnari Chunnari. Uss waqt ek rising star tha, not a superstar,” Abhijeet said, emphasizing the song’s massive popularity for over two decades.
Abhijeet Bhattacharya directly targeted Varun Dhawan’s film choices and his reliance on his father David Dhawan’s past hits. The singer did not mince words and claimed that recreating a Salman Khan song would not elevate Varun’s star status. “The actor (Varun Dhawan) has only done second-hand films, especially when his father (David Dhawan) directed the original films. He also uses the same songs that were once a hit. Varun Dhawan iss gaane se Salman Khan nahi ban sakta (Varun Dhawan cannot become Salman Khan through this song). There is a big difference between Salman Khan and Varun Dhawan,” he stated.
The veteran singer also took a sarcastic jibe at the musical quality of the new version. The original was a high-energy romantic dance number, but Abhijeet felt the remake lacked this charm. “When I heard the song, I thought it was a bhajan (devotional song). Chunnari Chunnari was originally a romantic track, and they have now turned it into a bhajan,” he commented. Abhijeet further revealed that the team behind ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ never bothered to reach out to him before recreating the iconic track. He added that even if they had approached him, he would have thought twice before agreeing, and he is ultimately happy he did not sing the new version because it would have “degraded” his reputation.
While Abhijeet slammed the song, the original music composer Anu Malik defended the remake. Sharing a video on Instagram, Anu Malik stated that the song was a superhit when it released on Salman Khan and remains equally loved today on Varun Dhawan’s face. He suggested that its popularity across generations proves its lasting impact. However, the controversy doesn’t end with the singers. The track has also triggered an industry feud involving producer Ramesh Taurani, director David Dhawan, and veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani. Bhagnani has raised serious allegations regarding the unauthorized reuse of songs associated with his older films without consent, describing it as an ethical matter rather than just a financial dispute.
The new version of ‘Chunnari Chunnari – Let’s Go’ has been arranged by Akshay Raheja and Abhishek Singh, featuring vocals by IP Singh, Jonita Gandhi, Asees Kaur, Sudhir Yaduvanshi, and Anuradha Sriram, and is choreographed by Remo D’souza. The video features Varun Dhawan alongside Pooja Hegde and Mrunal Thakur. Despite crossing millions of views on YouTube, fans have heavily criticized the track for failing to capture the magic of Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen. ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, directed by David Dhawan and produced by Ramesh Taurani, is slated to release in theatres on June 5, 2026.
