Mumbai: Veteran singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has stirred controversy after reacting to the recreated version of Chunnari Chunnari from Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. The singer said Varun Dhawan “can’t do justice” to the voice and impact of the original song, adding that he would have faced criticism had his vocals been reused in the remake.

The latest Bollywood controversy began after the makers released the recreated version of the iconic Biwi No 1 track featuring Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. The original 1999 song starred Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen and remains one of Bollywood’s most popular dance tracks.

In an interview with Zoom, Abhijeet said he was not informed about the remake and made strong remarks while comparing Salman Khan and Varun Dhawan’s screen presence.

“Difference between Salman Khan and Varun Dhawan is the same as that between Amitabh Bachchan and Asrani. Varun can’t do justice to the song I sang,” he said.

Clarifying his point further, the singer stated that the makers made a “wise decision” by not retaining his voice in the recreated version because audiences would have criticised it.

“They made a wise decision by not retaining my voice in the song. This will receive criticism. Salman became a superstar with this song, Varun will remain a nobody,” Abhijeet said, referring to the backlash the original vocals may have received in the recreated setup.

Abhijeet’s remarks have triggered debate online because Chunnari Chunnari continues to enjoy cult status among Bollywood fans. The original song, sung by Abhijeet and Anuradha Sriram, remains a popular party track even decades after its release.

The singer also criticised Bollywood’s remake culture during the interview, saying filmmakers are more interested in recycling old songs than creating fresh music.

“They are not used to eating clean and fresh. They prefer stale food,” he said.

While Anuradha Sriram’s vocals have been retained in the recreated version, the new song features voices by Jonita Gandhi, Asees Kaur and Sudhir Yaduvanshi.

Directed by David Dhawan, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is an upcoming romantic comedy starring Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. The film is set for a global theatrical release on June 5.