Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s hit track Chunnari Chunnari from the film Biwi No.1 (1999) is a fan favourite even after more than two decades.

A recent decision to remake the song for the upcoming film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai — starring Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur — however, has not gone down well with fans of the original. Videos of the trio shooting the revamped version in London have gone viral, leading to criticism and trolling.

Ask Abhijeet, the original voice behind the song, for his reaction, and he tells us, “Mujhe music composer, film ke director, kisi ne nahin bataya ki iss song ko remake kiya ja raha hai. Himmat bhi nahin kar sakte batane ki.”

Surprisingly, though, he admits that the track was never one of his favourites. “For me personally, Chunnari Chunnari was one of those ‘Jaldi gaao aur bhaago studio se’ songs. This was one of those where the makers wanted the lyrics to become a hit anyhow.”

He adds, “For the past 25 years I have heard it being played at functions and thought, ‘What is it about the song?’ But I do realize it has become iconic for fans.”

Having said that, does he mind that the song has been reimagined? “Mujhe farak nahin padta itni chhoti cheez se,” the 66-year-old says. He explains, “I don’t get involved much. In the market, more copies are sold than the original. Only great people know the value of the original. Tuchchi cheez mein main padta hi nahin hoon.”