Abhijeet Bhattacharya opens up on viral mashup performed at Dua Lipa’s Mumbai concert

MUMBAI: Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has reacted strongly to the viral mashup of Dua Lipa’s ‘Levitating’ with the classic Bollywood song ‘Woh Ladki Jo’, performed during her recent concert in Mumbai. Videos of the performance went viral on social media, with fans praising Shah Rukh Khan, who starred in the original song.

However, this did not sit well with Abhijeet’s son, Jay Bhattacharya, who called out the lack of credit to his father, as well as the original creators Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar. Abhijeet has opened up about the controversy and took a swipe at the organizers and fans. He said, “Dua Lipa doesn’t even know who owns it. Whatever script she was given, she performed it”.

Abhijeet shared how his phone kept ringing after the mashup played at the concert. However, he was disappointed when hashtags like “tribute” started circulating without giving proper acknowledgement to the creators.

#WATCH | Mumbai: Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya talks about singer Dua Lipa performing ‘Levitating x Woh Ladki Jo’ mashup at her concert in Mumbai recently.

He says, “We get the credit the day people hear a song. But if you suddenly take someone’s name who has nothing to do with… pic.twitter.com/nAiXT347b4

— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2024

“When this song played at the BKC concert, my phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Everyone was saying, ‘Dada, it’s your song, your song.’ I said, ‘Wow, that’s great.’ But then, the organizers or someone started putting hashtags calling it a tribute or something”, the singer said.

Calling fans insignificant in the bigger picture, the singer said, “This is a fight between two lions, Shah Rukh Khan and me. Tum Gidhad bhi nahin ho; you’re mosquitoes. Ye apne apko dhoka mat do. Ye kurta phad ke chilarahe ho. Ye bohot gandi chiz hain. Bade bano dekhlo tum log kya kar rahe ho. Ye artificial duniya me mat jiyo. There are countless Dua Lipas here, and she just danced to one of them”, the singer further said.

Abhijeet also opened up on his strained relationship with the superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The singer, who was a popular voice behind many of SRK’s hit songs in the 1990s and 2000s, said his issues with the actor began when he felt he wasn’t being credited properly for his work.

Abhijeet explained why he stopped singing for SRK. “When self-respect is hurt, you feel like saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ I wasn’t singing for him (Shah Rukh); I was singing for my work. But when I saw that they were acknowledging everyone — like a tea vendor who serves tea on set — but not acknowledging the singer, I felt, ‘Why should I be your voice?’,” he said.

Despite the rift, Abhijeet said he holds no grudges. “It’s not that my relationship with SRK is broken, but Shah Rukh is now such a huge star that he’s no longer just a human being. Even he probably doesn’t realize the level he has reached. So why should I expect anything from him? I’m still the same person I was; I am growing in my own way. I’m 5-6 years older than him. He’s over 60, and I’m also in my 60s. There was no need for anyone to apologize. Both of us have egos. Our birthdays are just a day apart; we are both Scorpios. But I’m the bigger Scorpio. I don’t need him or his support”, said the singer.

Abhijeet and Shah Rukh worked together on several iconic tracks. From Baadshah’s ‘Wo Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai’ to Chalte Chalte’s title track, the singer’s voice was integral to SRK’s on-screen charm during the late ’90s and early 2000s. (ANI)