Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan criticised filmmaker Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar franchise for recreating old songs and using them in sequences that he believes are unrelated to their original context. He also expressed concern over Bollywood's current approach to music and the way original lyricists are being treated.
In a conversation with Komal Nahta on Game Changers, Sameer discussed the growing trend of recreating classic songs. While he acknowledged that remixes and recreations can introduce older music to a younger generation, he objected to original creators being ignored in the process.
Anjaan Says Original Creators Should Be Respected
Sameer argued that using creative work comes with a moral responsibility towards the people who originally created it. He said original writers should not be overlooked, particularly when they are still available to contribute to a new version.
"The fact is that you cannot stop inventions. However, that is not the problem. Recreating a song has both pros and cons. Like when they remade my Dilbar song, it got reintroduced to Gen Z. However, the problem starts when, while recreating a song, you ignore the original lyricist even when they are available and give the writing work to someone else, who then gives vulgar lines unrelated to the word Dilbar. They are insulting the literature. If you can improve something, please do. But don’t play with something to spoil the original," he said.
The lyricist also rejected the idea that veteran writers may not understand what appeals to younger audiences. According to him, age should not automatically be seen as a barrier to understanding contemporary sensibilities.
He then specifically called out Dhurandhar for using old songs in violent action sequences. Referring to the franchise's treatment of classic tracks, Sameer said, "Films like Dhurandhar have made the situation even worse. Satyanash kar diya. They picked the music and put it in the background. In the trailer of Chauhan, they are playing Jumma Chumma during an action sequence. They recreated my song while they are firing guns. Where is the song? My father doesn’t own the industry for me to make them stop. But this will continue until they ruin it all completely and then have nothing left."
Anjaan Questions Bollywood's Changing Approach To Music
Sameer further expressed disappointment with some of Bollywood's biggest production houses, particularly those associated with Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar. He recalled a time when these banners were known for supporting strong music and said he was unable to understand what had changed.
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge featured Ranveer Singh in the lead, alongside Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal, among others. Several songs from the franchise were recreated versions of older tracks, with the music gaining significant popularity despite the debate surrounding their use.
The Dhurandhar franchise has also delivered a major box-office run, reportedly collecting more than Rs 3,000 crore worldwide.
Who Is Sameer Anjaan?
Sameer Anjaan is among Hindi cinema's well-known lyricists and has written lyrics for several popular Bollywood songs. The son of veteran lyricist Anjaan, he began his career in the 1980s and gained prominence with films such as Aashiqui, Dil, Deewana and Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke.
Some of his widely remembered songs include Nazar Ke Saamne, Teri Umeed Tera Intezaar and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, among several others.
