Amitabh Bachchan 'warned' Shankar Mahadevan for Kajra Re! ‘Main tera career bigaad dunga’

Released in 2005, Bunty Aur Babli became a blockbuster, with its standout track “Kajra Re” stealing the spotlight. Featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai, the song’s lyrics, music, and choreography remain iconic. Composed by National Award-winner Shankar Mahadevan, the hit also carries a lesser-known tale- Amitabh once warned him during recording.

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Shankar Mahadevan Recalls a Warm Set Encounter

Composer Shankar Mahadevan - whose credits include memorable tracks such as “Maa” from Taare Zameen Par and “Mitwa” - recently shared a vivid memory from the film’s making during a talk on Humans of Bombay’s All India Mehfil.

He recalled meeting the superstar on set and described how pleased Bachchan was with the music.

“I remember Bachchan sir, he was shooting Rock and Roll, and we went on the set. With my kind of weight, he lifted me because he was so happy with the song. He is just too sweet. He gave me a hug and said, ‘Kya gaana banaya hai (what a song you have made).’”

Kajra Re: The Recording-room Anecdote

Shankar also spoke about the studio side of the song - how he prepped rough vocals and hoped Bachchan would lend his voice to the mixed version. He approached Amitabh at a function and explained the plan, but the legend’s reaction was both affectionate and decisive.

Shankar said, “It was another experience. I had dubbed as a rough thing for Amitabh Bachchan to come and dub his voice for Kajra Re because Javed Ali sang for Abhishek, and his portions I had done. When I met him at a function, I said, ‘Sir, please come and dub your parts, we have to mix the song.’ He asked which song, and I told him Kajra Re. He said, ‘So what should I dub in that?’ I said, ‘Sir, I have kept your parts for you to dub.’ He had already shot the song, and he just loved it. He said, ‘No, this will be like this only. Tu usko haath lagaya toh dekhna, main tera career bigaad dunga' (If you even touch it, I'll destroy your career).”

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Blessings and Boundaries

Shankar explained that Big B's request - firm but affectionate - was effectively a blessing. He added that Amitabh had shown similar protectiveness over other projects, a gesture the composer described as his “blessings”.