4 min readHyderabadUpdated: May 27, 2026 10:26 AM IST
Veteran playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has strongly criticised the recreated version of his iconic 1999 song “Chunnari Chunnari” from Biwi No.1, accusing the makers of stripping the track of its original charm. The recreated song, featured in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai starring Varun Dhawan, has also triggered mixed reactions online.
On Tuesday, the makers of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai put out the recreated version of “Chunnari Chunnari,” one of the most recognisable Hindi film songs of the late 1990s. Titled “Chunnari Chunnari: Let’s Go,” the track features Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, and Pooja Hegde and has been arranged by Akshay Raheja and Abhishek Singh. The music video was choreographed by Remo D’Souza. Vocals for the new version were provided by IP Singh, Jonita Gandhi, Asees Kaur, Sudhir Yaduvanshi, and Anuradha Sriram, who had also sung in the original.
Within hours of the song going live, public reaction was largely negative. Comments across social media accused the makers of stripping the song of what had made it work in the first place. Several fans pushed back against what they saw as yet another beloved classic being remade for a newer audience.
Abhijeet Bhattacharya reacts to ‘Chunnari Chunnari’ remake
Speaking to ANI, Abhijeet reflected on what the song had meant for Salman Khan’s career. In 1999, he pointed out, Salman was still building toward the kind of stardom he would eventually reach. “Chunnari Chunnari” arrived at exactly the right moment for him and stayed in the public memory long after. “This was the biggest song of Salman Khan. Since it came out, the song has been trending to date,” he said.
Singer says no one from the film contacted him
What bothered Abhijeet more than the remake itself was the complete absence of any communication from the people behind it. “Neither the music composers working on the new version nor the film’s director had reached out to me They didn’t have the courage to tell me,” he remarked.
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When Abhijeet finally heard the new version, he said it sounded like a bhajan. “Chunnari Chunnari was originally a romantic track, and they have now turned it into a bhajan,” he said.
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Abhijeet Bhattacharya takes a swipe at Varun Dhawan
His criticism then moved beyond the song itself and toward the actor at the centre of it. “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 can’t become Salman Khan by doing his songs. There is a big difference between Salman Khan and Varun Dhawan,” he added.
About Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai marks the fourth collaboration between David Dhawan and Varun Dhawan after Main Tera Hero, Judwaa 2, and Coolie No. 1. Positioned as a full-fledged family entertainer, the film revolves around romantic mix-ups, comic confusion, and larger-than-life chaos.
The trailer hints at Varun’s character being stuck in a messy love triangle, with characters played by Pooja Hegde and Mrunal Thakur further complicating matters through unexpected pregnancy revelations.
The film also features an ensemble cast including Chunky Panday, Jimmy Shergill, Mouni Roy, Rajesh Kumar, Ali Asgar, and Rakesh Bedi. Produced by Ramesh Taurani under Tips Films, the movie is scheduled to hit theatres on June 5.
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