Salim-Sulaiman Reveal Chak De India’s Maula Mere Wasn’t Created For Shah Rukh Khan’s Film

Musical duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, nominated for an Emmy, have left an indelible mark on the Hindi music industry. Renowned for making chart topping albums for Bollywood blockbusters, the Merchant brothers recently shared intriguing anecdotes in an interview with Bollywood Hungama. While sharing details about making their iconic songs, the duo mentioned a surprising connection between the soundtracks of Dor and Chak De India. Salim revealed that the soul stirring Maula Mere song was initially intended for Nagesh Kukunoor’s film Dor, but it was rejected by the director himself. Interestingly, three years later, the duo used the same song for Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De India and recreated it just a week before the film’s release.

Salim shared, “There’s a strange story behind it because the film was already completed. The song was made just a week before its release. We watched the entire film and towards the end, the part where Shah Rukh looks at the tiranga and gets teary eyed, that moment was crucial. There was a background score, which was excellent, but Yash Chopra insisted on having a song there. With only a week left for the movie’s release, we rushed back to the studio after watching the film that night. We had a song that we had created for Dor, but unfortunately, Nagesh didn’t like it. But then we created Ye Honsla Kaise Jhuke and he loved it.”

The musician added, “On that very night, we made a collective decision to present the song the next day. Until 2 AM, we immersed ourselves in writing the lyrics. After the film, Aditya Chopra and the entire team joined us. Yash Ji had asserted that the song must be included. It wasn’t just a song for the movie, it became timeless, resonating deeply with countless hearts.”

Chak De India, directed by Shimit Amin, featured Shah Rukh Khan as the coach of the women’s national hockey team. The film explored the challenges faced by women’s hockey in India and continues to be known as one of the finest sports dramas in Hindi cinema. SRK’s portrayal of the coach and the film’s gripping narrative resonated with audiences.

Meanwhile, King Khan enjoyed a successful last year with three blockbuster hits like Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki. While the actor hasn’t officially announced any projects yet, rumours suggest that he will star in a film directed by Sujoy Ghosh, also featuring his daughter Suhana Khan.