Read how a forgotten tune during Anu Malik’s family vacation in Goa gave Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen their iconic hit ‘Chunari Chunari’.
The ‘Chunari Chunari’ song from David Dhawan’s 1999 hit Biwi No. 1 is a cultural touchstone that defined an entire era of Bollywood pop culture. Decades after its release, this high-octane track, picturized on Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen, continues to hold an unbreakable grip on fans across generations. Anu Malik’s catchy music, Anuradha Sriram’s unique voice, and Salman’s charm make it a track that still lights up dance floors.
Recently, in a chat with Mashable India, Anu Malik shared the behind-the-scenes story about how he composed this iconic hit.
The composer recalled, “There was a film being made called Biwi No. 1, starring Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen—a lovely star cast. When you have a hero like Salman Khan, that in itself is an inspiration, knowing that the song will be picturized on him.”
“One day, David Dhawan came up to me and said, “Man, I need an extraordinary song.” A song like that isn’t just created on command, but I told him we’d try. I remember going to Goa with my family. Back in those days, we used cassette tapes, and I forgot to take a cassette recorder with me on vacation. While I was taking a walk with my family, a tune popped into my head. I was humming it to myself, thinking, “This is a nice tune,” he shared.
Anu continued, “Then I thought, “How do I capture this before I forget it?” My family was with me, including my young daughter, Anmol. She sang well, so I told her, “Just remember this tune.” She memorized it and started singing it back to me. I asked her, “Will you remember this word, ‘Chunari’?” Because the word Chunari kept coming to my mind: Aaja na chhoo le meri chunari sanam…”
“After humming the full phrase, I forgot all about it. I moved on to other songs and ideas, and quite some time passed. Then one day, David came to my house and said, “So, what did you come up with? I need a fun, catchy item-style song.” I played a few tunes for him, but he said, “Nah man, this isn’t hitting the spot. Suddenly it struck me: “Wait, I had composed a tune! Why can’t I remember it? I’m sure David will love it.” But it had completely slipped my mind. Desperate, I remembered my daughter!” he added.
The ace composer reminisced, “I called out, “Anmol, come here!” David was sitting there, Vashu Bhagnani was there, and lyricist Sameer was there too. I asked her if she remembered the tune, and in her cute, childish voice, she said, “Daddy, I remember the tune! Aaja na chhoo le meri chunari sanam. I exclaimed, “That’s it!” I sang it out for them- Aaja na chhoo le meri chunari sanam, kuch na main bolun tujhe meri kasam. Sameer fell in love with that line immediately, and he wrote: Aayi jawani sar pe mere, tere bin kya karun jawani be-reham, haye, aaja na chhoo le meri chunari sanam.”
“Everyone went wild! David said, “We found the song, man, let’s record it!” We recorded the track in two days. Today, it has become a trendsetter everywhere, with people still dancing to it in viral reels,” he said in in his interview.
Malik explained that David had asked for more flavor, so he spontaneously added the repetitive Chunari chunari chunari…, which fit naturally on the beat and became the song’s signature. He noted that the phrasing and rhythm connected with audiences, making the track an instant hit where lyrics, vocals, and music blended seamlessly.
He further shared that whenever he composed, he imagined a specific singer’s voice for the chorus, a practice learned from greats like O.P. Nayyar, Shankar-Jaikishan, and Laxmikant-Pyarelal. He emphasized that tone was crucial, with different songs requiring different vocal qualities. For Chunari Chunari, he felt Anuradha Sriram’s voice was the perfect fit, and she sang it beautifully.
Malik also highlighted Salman Khan’s contribution, saying that when given a strong song, the Bollywood star always created magic on screen.
“We brief singers on how to throw their voice—whether soft or loud—and the way Salman took it to another level with his classic actions on my musical cues was iconic. Even Varun Dhawan danced so well to it later on; the song remains a craze to this day,” he concluded.
Starring Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Anil Kapoor, and Tabu, Biwi No. 1 tells the story of a devoted wife who discovers her husband’s affair and turns the table on him with her wit and resilence.
