More than two decades after Kajra Re became one of the most recognizable Bollywood songs of the 2000s, Abhishek Bachchan says he would happily do it all over again.
Speaking to BBC Asian Network, Abhishek was asked whether he would be interested in a “Kajra Re 2.0” that reunited him with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan. His answer was immediate.
“I’m down for that. I’d love it. You have got to convince Aishwarya and my dad, though.”
The comment was playful rather than an announcement of an actual remake, but it has obvious nostalgia value. Kajra Re remains one of the rare songs to bring Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya together on screen, years before Aishwarya and Abhishek married in 2007.
‘Kajra Re’ apparently felt more like a party than a shoot
What makes Abhishek’s memory of the song particularly fun is how little it sounds like a conventional film shoot.
He recalled that director Shaad Ali essentially let the music run while the three stars danced for hours.
“I don’t know if I have had more fun shooting a song than shooting ‘Kajra Re’. It was just one big happy party.”
Abhishek also remembered that they happened to be filming around his birthday and celebrated on set. According to him, Ali simply played the track and let everyone dance for roughly four hours, filming the spontaneous moments and eventually using some of that footage in the finished song.
That detail helps explain something about the final sequence that choreography alone cannot.
Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya do not look as though they are merely hitting predetermined marks. There is a looseness to the performance, particularly during the moments when the three interact with one another, that now sounds consistent with Abhishek’s description of the set as an extended dance party.
He called the song a track that has achieved “cult status” and said the experience still brings back “great memories.”
‘Kajra Re’ was not originally expected to become the film’s biggest song
The song’s longevity becomes even more interesting when compared with how uncertain some of the people involved were before its release.
Composer Ehsaan Noorani has previously recalled that during an internal assessment of the Bunty Aur Babli soundtrack, Kajra Re was reportedly placed at the bottom of the list of songs expected to perform well.
That prediction did not last long.
Noorani remembered leaving Mumbai airport only a few days after the song’s release and already hearing a wedding band playing it.
Even Amitabh Bachchan apparently had doubts at first. Director Shaad Ali previously recalled that Amitabh initially told him the song was unlikely to work and even suggested that they should not shoot it.
Instead, it became one of the defining tracks of the film.
Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, with vocals from Alisha Chinai, Shankar Mahadevan and Javed Ali, Kajra Re was choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant and featured Aishwarya in a special appearance opposite Amitabh and Abhishek.
A ‘Kajra Re 2.0’ is still just a fun idea—for now
It is worth keeping Abhishek’s comments in perspective.
There is no confirmed Kajra Re remake or sequel song currently in development, and neither Aishwarya Rai Bachchan nor Amitabh Bachchan has publicly agreed to participate in one.
What Abhishek has confirmed is simply that he would be interested if the opportunity ever arose.
That distinction matters because Bollywood has frequently revived popular older songs with “2.0” versions, but Kajra Re carries a very specific appeal that would be difficult to reproduce with a standard remix. Much of its legacy comes from seeing those three performers together rather than simply hearing the composition.
Twenty-one years later, Abhishek’s memory of the shoot suggests that he understands that too.
He is ready to return to the dance floor.
According to him, someone else just needs to convince Aishwarya and Amitabh first.
