Music composer Akhil Sachdeva has revealed that Emraan Hashmi personally reached out to him for the song 'Piya Ghar Aaya - Homecoming' from the recently released film 'Awarapan 2', and gave him complete creative liberty to craft something distinct from his usual work. The disclosure came shortly after the film's release on 17 August.

How the collaboration came about

According to Sachdeva, the actor made direct contact — an unusual move that set the tone for an unconventional brief. 'Emraan Hashmi himself called me for the song and he wanted me to make a very different song from what I have usually done,' the composer said. Rather than a love ballad or a heartbreak number, Hashmi reportedly asked Sachdeva to experiment freely and follow his instincts.

'He told me to do something different and I experimented. So, I didn't have any pressure for it but I knew that I had to achieve the level, the legacy of Awarapan, the standard of Awarapan,' Sachdeva said. He added that Hashmi encouraged him to write whatever his gut feeling dictated.

The Punjabi element and the creative risk

One of the more daring choices Sachdeva made was weaving Punjabi words into the song's lyrical structure — a departure from the sonic identity of the original 'Awarapan'. He acknowledged that this was a deliberate creative call, noting that the language came to him naturally during the composition process.

'I have used Punjabi words in this song, this wasn't the case with Awarapan,' he said. 'So people might be afraid of this, people might have different views but I thought that it is coming naturally. So I accepted that song as my gut feeling.'

Criticism, abuses, and an unexpected turnaround

The Punjabi-inflected composition drew sharp criticism online before audiences had seen the film in context. Sachdeva said he was prepared for the backlash — and that it eventually reversed itself once viewers watched the song on screen.

'I also got abuses for using Punjabi words. But I think everybody who has gone to the theatre and seen the film, they have said sorry to me on Instagram,' he said. He described receiving direct messages from critics who changed their minds after watching the film, calling it a validation of his instinct-led approach.

Where the song stands in the film

Sachdeva positioned 'Piya Ghar Aaya - Homecoming' as one of the most-discussed new tracks in 'Awarapan 2', alongside 'Tera Mera Rishta'. He drew a careful distinction between the new compositions and legacy tracks like 'Toh Fir Aao' from the original film, acknowledging that the older songs carry a different cultural weight. 'They have a different legacy, we can't talk about that. But the new songs, one of the new songs in the film is my song,' he said. The film stars Emraan Hashmi in the lead role and follows the cult success of the 2007 original.