Bollywood megastar Salman Khan brought his trademark unfiltered wit and electric presence to Mumbai on Saturday evening, turning a routine industry gathering into an absolute laughing riot.
Attending the grand launch of a special film festival celebrating the cinematic legacy of veteran director David Dhawan, Salman took center stage to playfully roast the filmmaker’s son, Varun Dhawan. The target of his roasting? Varun’s decision to remix Salman’s legendary 1999 chartbuster, Chunari Chunari, for his upcoming romantic comedy Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.
As Salman was escorted into the venue by the father-son duo, he stopped directly in front of the flashing cameras of the paparazzi. Grinning widely, the superstar gestured toward Varun and loudly joked to the crowd, “Isne mera ek aur gaana uthaya (He has stolen yet another song of mine)!” referring to Varun’s habit of leading remakes of his classic tracks. The unexpected call-out left Varun visibly blushing and hiding his face in stitches before he quickly pleaded, “Bhai rehne do (Please stop it, brother)!” sending the entire venue and social media into a frenzy.
The Legacy of Retreads: This marks Varun Dhawan’s third major time stepping into Salman Khan’s massive musical shoes. The actor previously fronted the highly successful, revamped versions of Chalti Hai Kya 9 Se 12 and Oonchi Hai Building for the 2017 blockbuster Judwaa 2.
The Legal Meltdown: Vashu Bhagnani Slams “Lack of Ethics”
While Salman and Varun kept things lighthearted, the reality behind the Chunari Chunari revamp has been anything but smooth sailing behind the scenes. The playful banter comes at a highly volatile time, as veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani (head of Pooja Entertainment) has filed a high-profile lawsuit in Katihar, Bihar against Tips Industries and director David Dhawan over the allegedly unauthorized use of the track. Chunari Chunari originally belonged to the 1999 hit Biwi No. 1, which Bhagnani produced.
An emotional and deeply hurt Vashu Bhagnani publicly lambasted the Dhawans during a recent press conference, revealing that the dispute is deeply personal rather than financial. “David is like my brother. I have had lunch and dinner with him. I gave my life for him,” Bhagnani stated, revealing he suffered a ₹27 crore loss on Coolie No. 1 and felt completely blindsided by his old friends. “How can David Dhawan use the same songs from our film in his son’s movie for another producer? There should be some ethics in the industry. At least he should have come to me and told me.”
Playoff Release Plans and Musical Origins
Original composer Anu Malik also took a trip down memory lane at the film’s delayed trailer launch, diffusing some of the legal tension by sharing a heartwarming story of how the iconic tune was originally conceived during a family holiday in Goa. Having forgotten his recording cassette, Malik had to teach the melody to his young daughter, Anmol, who memorized it and sang it back to a thrilled David Dhawan weeks later during their music sitting.
Despite the Katihar court reportedly granting a temporary status quo order over the song’s visual rights, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai producer Ramesh Taurani remains completely unfazed. Addressing the legal storm head-on, Taurani assured fans that the matter is entirely sub judice but actively being settled behind closed doors. Promotions for the chaotic love-triangle comedy will proceed full steam ahead, keeping the film on track for its highly anticipated worldwide theatrical release on June 5, 2026.