Mumbai, Jan 22 (NationPress) — Lyricist and poet Manoj Muntashir shared his thoughts regarding the esteemed lyricist Javed Akhtar declining the opportunity to recreate the legendary song Sandese Aate Hain for Border 2.

In a conversation with IANS, Manoj Muntashir, who accepted the challenge of reinventing the classic piece after Akhtar's refusal, expressed his admiration for the legendary lyricist.

“Absolutely, he is right. If something does not inspire him and he feels he doesn’t want to add anything to it, then as a writer and creator, it is completely his right. We respect that,” stated Manoj.

He further commented to IANS, “Bhushan Kumar ji, T-Series, and Anurag Singh rightfully approached him first, because if you are creating music for Border and you don’t consult Javed Akhtar sahab, then you are doing something wrong. You must consult him.”

While he revealed that Akhtar opted out of the project, he did extend his blessings to Manoj and Mithoon. “However, it is true that Javed sahab blessed us and said, ‘I don’t want to do this, you proceed.’ With his blessings, we did whatever we could,” Manoj shared.

Discussing the task of recreating a song that has touched millions over the years, Manoj stated, “We have reimagined the message, but our hearts were completely bowed to the original creation, the song composed by the respected Javed Akhtar sahab and Anu Malik ji. There is no claim by Mithoon or Manoj Muntashir on that song. That song belongs solely to four individuals, and it is their legacy.”

He added, “For the record, those four names are Javed Akhtar sahab, Anu Malik ji, Sonu Nigam ji, and Roop Kumar Rathod ji. Their song will endure forever. We merely added our small contribution — like a few bricks — to the palace built by those four, and we placed them with love. That’s all we did.”

Earlier, Manoj expressed that the song Sandese Aate Hain encapsulates the quiet pain and fragile hope.

Manoj described the song as a heartfelt homage to timeless emotions and the lyrical legacy that inspired it.

Reflecting on the song, Manoj noted, “I grew up admiring Javed Akhtar sahab’s writing, and Sandese Aate Hain is a song that has always lived deep within me. While composing Ghar Kab Aaoge, my only intent was to maintain that same emotional honesty and simplicity. I am profoundly grateful to Anurag Singh for believing in me with such a delicate sentiment. Mithoon’s deeply expressive eyes continuously inspire me to enhance my poetry, and I must thank Bhushan ji for allowing me to be part of a song that holds so much heart. This song is not about grand words; it speaks to the quiet pain and fragile hope of every home yearning for someone to return.”

Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 features a stellar cast including Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty, Mona Singh, Medha Rana, Sonam Bajwa, and Anya Singh.

The film is slated for release on January 23, 2026.