Recently, music composer Salim Merchant posted on his Instagram handle that he was going to release a track by the late singer, Sidhu Moose Wala shortly. Salim says the track, Jaandi Vaar, a duet with Afsana Khan, was recorded in Chandigarh last year in July at a recording studio that belongs to Salim’s friend. Soon after this announcement, Moose Wala’s family and professional advisor took to social media, urging Salim against this release.

Addressing Salim’s post, Punjabi music producer Bunty Bains wrote on social media, “This release has not been authorised by Sidhu Moose Wala’s family yet. We have requested you multiple times even when you wanted to release the song just 3-4 days after Shubh veer left us and at that time as well during those circumstances Shubh veer’s father saab had sent you a voice note to hold on for any release so that family can first take some time and then discuss and understand the entire details of project with you and accordingly the future plan can be decided. I would really request you with folded hands that while we are anyways disappointed with various people putting out unreleased and leaked songs, we are hoping to get the support from such a well known artist and professional like you and to not put out any song yet without family’s confirmation and approval. Sidhu’s parents would be very pleased to meet you soon and discuss this project in person (sic).”

In his announcement, Salim also said that the song will be available as NFT on an online platform for people to buy. To this, Bains added, “Commercializing his vocals as well as his name in the form of NFT in addition to offering unlicensed merchandise of Sidhu Moose Wala… is entirely illegal.”

When we reached out to Salim, he replied, “All I can say is I wish Sidhu was alive, he wanted this collab as much as we did. Nothing else really matters.”