IP Singh defends 'Chunnari Chunnari' remake: It's a tribute, not a replacement
Synopsis
IP Singh isn't apologising for touching a 1999 classic. The singer-composer behind 'Chunnari Chunnari – Let's Go' invokes Drake and Limp Bizkit to defend reinterpretation as a global tradition — and pushes back on the idea that Bollywood's remix wave is purely a commercial play. His pitch: nostalgia is a branch of music, not a betrayal of it.
Key Takeaways
IP Singh has voiced and composed ‘Chunnari Chunnari – Let's Go' for the upcoming film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai' .
The original ‘Chunnari Chunnari' was picturised on Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen in 1999.
Singh cited global artists like Drake and Limp Bizkit to defend reinterpretation as homage.
The project came via Tips , with the team ‘really excited' rather than hesitant about touching the classic.
Singh rejected the framing that remakes are purely a commercial bet, calling them ‘another branch of music'.
Singer-composer IP Singh, the voice behind the reimagined version of the 1999 chartbuster ‘Chunnari Chunnari' for the upcoming film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai', has pushed back against criticism over revisiting the cult Salman Khan-Sushmita Sen number. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Singh framed the new track — titled ‘Chunnari Chunnari – Let's Go' — as a homage rooted in a long-standing global musical tradition rather than a commercial shortcut.
Singh's response to the backlash
Addressing fans who argue the original was already perfect, Singh said reinterpretation is how iconic music stays alive across generations. ‘Actually, you know, we usually pay homage or reimagine songs that were iconic in their time,' he said.
He cited international artists as precedent. ‘And this has been done all over the world, be it Drake, be it Limp Bizkit, be it several bands, you know. They've always paid homage to other people's music by interpreting it in their own way. So yeah, that's what I'd like to say to them,' Singh added.
How the project came about
Singh said the offer from Tips — reportedly conveyed by Kumar Taurani and Ramesh Taurani — left the team thrilled rather than hesitant about the weight of the original, picturised on Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen in the 1999 film ‘Sirf Tum'. ‘We were just really, really excited when we got an opportunity… Toh hum toh ekdum hi khush ho gaye the. All these thoughts really never came to our mind,' he said.
On the remix-versus-original debate
On the wider criticism that Bollywood is leaning on recreations instead of investing in fresh compositions, Singh argued the appeal of familiarity is not purely commercial. ‘Honestly, we don't think that it's only about commercial success. Of course, you know, it helps when something known is heard again,' he said.
He pointed to his own listening years as evidence. ‘When we were growing up, when we were in the 90s and early 2000s, there were so many re-imaginations, so many re-interpretations of 80s and 70s tracks that we don't think that we would have been exposed to them if they were not presented to us,' Singh said.
A tribute, not a replacement
Singh insisted the new version is meant to sit alongside the original, not overwrite it. ‘It is an homage, it's a tribute to one of the greatest tracks,' he said, calling reinterpretation ‘just another branch of music' alongside originals and folk traditions.
The reimagined track releases as part of ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai', with audience reception likely to feed into Bollywood's ongoing debate over the economics of nostalgia versus original scoring.
Point of View
But it sidesteps the core complaint: Bollywood's remix economy isn't really about homage — it's about de-risking music budgets in a streaming-driven market where familiar hooks travel faster on Reels than new compositions. Invoking Drake is a stretch; Western sampling typically credits and reinterprets, while Hindi film remakes often flatten the original's texture for dancefloor utility. The real test for ‘Chunnari Chunnari – Let's Go' is whether it adds anything sonically, or just rents the 1999 memory. Until original Bollywood music gets matching marketing muscle, the remix loop will keep feeding itself.
NationPress
19 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is IP Singh and what is his role in 'Chunnari Chunnari – Let's Go'?
IP Singh is a singer-composer who has lent his voice to and composed the reimagined version of ‘Chunnari Chunnari' for the upcoming Bollywood film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai'. The track is a tribute to the 1999 original picturised on Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen.
Why is the 'Chunnari Chunnari' remake facing criticism?
Sections of listeners argue that the 1999 original is already iconic and did not need reimagining. Critics also point to a wider Bollywood trend of leaning on remakes instead of investing in original compositions.
How has IP Singh responded to the backlash?
Singh has defended the new version as a homage rather than a replacement, calling reinterpretation a long-standing global musical tradition. He cited international artists like Drake and Limp Bizkit who have reworked earlier music in their own style.
Is the remake purely a commercial decision?
Singh rejected that framing, saying it is not only about commercial success even though familiar tracks naturally help draw listeners. He argued that 1990s and 2000s reinterpretations of older songs were how his generation discovered 1970s and 1980s music.
Where will the new 'Chunnari Chunnari – Let's Go' track be heard?
The reimagined track is part of the soundtrack of the forthcoming film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai', produced under the Tips label.
