When Mamta Sharma first heard that Chatni was returning to the big screen, it took the singer back to one of the happiest phases of her career. She previously performed the number, titled Kaise Bani Kaise Bani — The Chatni Song, alongside Salman Khan in Dabangg 2 (2012). Recreating it for Ajay Devgn’s Dhamaal 4 felt like reliving a cherished memory.

“Very few people get a chance to redo their own track, and that too in another iconic franchise,” said the singer enthusiastically.

The opportunity came unexpectedly. Sharma recalled that she got a call from Raj Chanana, assistant vice-president at T-Series. “Aditya Dev [composer]] had recreated it. The moment I heard the track, it brought back so many memories. I’ve been singing it on stage for so many years that it has become [another] Munni to me,” she smiled.

For Sharma, however, the song is inseparable from Khan and the Dabangg universe. Days after recording the track for Dabangg 2, she shot for it with the superstar — an experience that fulfilled her childhood dream.

“The first posters I put up in my home were of Salman sir and Madhuri [Dixit Nene] ma’am. Then suddenly, in 2010, I was working with him. I still remember how he held my hand and spun me during the song. I was so happy that even during breaks, my hand would remain in that position,” laughed the singer, who has several party numbers and a collaboration with lyricist Nikhat Khan in the pipeline. “Keep your dancing shoes ready,” she teased.