Cinema VinesIn a recent episode of the Game Changers podcast, lyricist Sameer Anjaan took a hard line against filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise, accusing the series of re‑creating classic Bollywood songs without due respect for the original writers. Anjaan, who has penned some of the industry’s most beloved romantic tracks, said that the trend of remixing old hits has become “a problem” when the original lyricist is sidelined and a new writer is brought in to add “vulgar lines” that stray from the original meaning.
He highlighted the example of his own “Dilbar,” noting that while the song’s revival introduced it to Generation Z, the new version had “vulgar lines unrelated to the word ‘Dilbar’.” Anjaan added that the practice of re‑imagining songs without the original lyricist’s permission is “insulting the literature” and that it should stop. He argued that good creative work should remain relevant for generations, and that age does not mean a lyricist is out of touch with contemporary tastes.
Beyond the issue of credit, Anjaan slammed the Dhurandhar films for using old songs out of context, especially during violent action sequences. He pointed to the trailer of Chauhan, where the track “Jumma Chumma” plays while guns are fired, calling it a “Satyanash” that “ruins the original.” Anjaan said that such misuse would “continue until they ruin it all completely and then have nothing left.”
The lyricist also expressed disappointment with major production houses, including Aditya Chopra’s and Karan Johar’s banners, noting that they once championed quality music but now seem to have lost focus. He questioned what had gone wrong and lamented that the industry no longer values the craft of songwriting.
Despite the controversy, the Dhurandhar franchise, starring Ranveer Singh, Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal, has been a commercial juggernaut. Its soundtrack, featuring several remixed tracks, became a chart‑buster, and the series has grossed over ₹3,000 crore worldwide at the box office.
Sameer Anjaan, the son of veteran lyricist Anjaan, began his career in the 1980s and rose to prominence with films such as Aashiqui, Dil, Deewana and Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke. His criticism of the Dhurandhar franchise underscores a broader debate about respect for original creators in Bollywood’s evolving music landscape.
