‘I’ll destroy your career’: What Amitabh Bachchan told Shankar Mahadevan ‘mazze mei’ when he asked him to dub ‘Kajra Re’ portions

“Kajra Re” is one of those rare songs that can rightfully be called one of the greatest Hindi film songs of this century,  not just for its catchy composition and dazzling choreography, but also for its lyrical depth (penned by the legendary Gulzar), its high-energy performance by Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Abhishek Bachchan, and its unforgettable vocals by Alisha Chinai, Shankar Mahadevan, and Javed Ali. Now, in a recent conversation with Mashable India, composer Shankar Mahadevan revealed a surprising detail: Amitabh Bachchan was originally supposed to sing his own portions of the track. But the superstar opted out, in a way only he could.

Recalling the incident, Shankar said: “When I sang Kajra Re, I had recorded his portions too, intending for him to come and dub later. He’s a very good singer, a fabulous musician himself. So I called him and asked, ‘Sir, when are you coming to the studio for the dubbing? We have to mix the song.’ He replied, ‘What dubbing? What are you saying?’ I said, ‘For your part in Kajra Re.’ He responded, ‘Why should I dub?’ I told him, ‘Sir, that is your part. I just recorded a rough take — now it’s your turn.’ So he said jokingly, ‘It will stay like this only. I won’t dub. You’ve sung it fabulously, and if you try to dub it using someone else’s voice, then watch out… I’ll destroy your career!’ He said so mazze mei”. The composer clarified that Big B said it as a joke.

Also Read | ‘Kajra Re was the worst-rated in Bunty aur Babli, marketing team called it…’: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy on how Aishwarya-Amitabh-Abhishek song got popularity

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Laughing at the memory, Shankar added: “That’s when I realised that even though my voice isn’t the spoken voice of Amitabh Bachchan, when it plays on screen, it fits. The same thing happened with Jhoom Barabar Jhoom as well. The film didn’t work, but the music really did. Even today, people don’t let us leave without singing songs from it. And for the title track of that film too, Bachchan saab insisted that it had to be my voice.”

Interestingly, the song that became an iconic cultural moment almost didn’t make it past the planning stage. In an earlier exclusive conversation with SCREEN, director Shaad Ali had revealed that Amitabh Bachchan wasn’t convinced about the track at all. “I knew when I heard an eight-second riff of it… that this is going to work wonders,” Shaad recalled. “But Yash Raj had given it the last number… ki yeh sabse kam popular hoga (that this will be the least popular one). Amit ji ne kaha tha ki yeh gaana shoot hi mat karo (Amit Ji said don’t even shoot this song).” Despite the skepticism, Shaad remained adamant about the song’s potential. He remembered bringing Amitabh Bachchan in to hear the track: “Maine jab unhe bulaya tha sunne ke liye… toh he said ki yeh nahi chalega (When I called him to listen to it, he said it won’t work).”

But history clearly had other plans. Kajra Re went on to become a pop culture phenomenon. A wedding playlist staple, a club favorite, and a defining song of the 2000s Bollywood era.