Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has expressed strong disapproval of the viral mashup combining Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” with the classic Bollywood track “Woh Ladki Jo,” performed at her recent concert in Mumbai. The mashup, which quickly gained attention on social media, saw fans celebrating Shah Rukh Khan, who starred in the original song. However, Abhijeet’s son, Jay Bhattacharya, called out the lack of credit to the original creators—Abhijeet, composer Anu Malik, and lyricist Javed Akhtar.
Abhijeet voiced his frustration, taking a jab at both the event organizers and the fans. “Dua Lipa doesn’t even know who owns it. Whatever script she was given, she performed it,” he said. The singer revealed that his phone was flooded with calls after the mashup played, but he was disappointed when people referred to it as a “tribute” without acknowledging the true creators.
Abhijeet criticized fans who celebrated the performance without understanding its significance, remarking, “This is a fight between two lions, Shah Rukh Khan and me. Tum Gidhad bhi nahin ho; you’re mosquitoes.” He also advised fans not to be misled by the superficial aspects of the situation, adding, “Ye apne apko dhoka mat do. Ye kurta phad ke chilarahe ho.”
Further expressing his frustration, Abhijeet pointed out that there are many artists like Dua Lipa, but she was merely dancing to a creation that belonged to others. He also touched on his strained relationship with Shah Rukh Khan, explaining that his decision to stop singing for SRK stemmed from feeling underappreciated for his contributions.
“When self-respect is hurt, you feel like saying, ‘Enough is enough,'” Abhijeet said. “I wasn’t singing for him; I was singing for my work. But when I saw that they were acknowledging everyone—like a tea vendor—but not acknowledging the singer, I felt, ‘Why should I be your voice?'”
Despite their differences, Abhijeet emphasized there were no hard feelings. “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,” he said. “I don’t need him or his support.”
Abhijeet and Shah Rukh Khan collaborated on several iconic tracks in the ’90s and 2000s, including “Woh Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai” from Baadshah and the title track of Chalte Chalte. Abhijeet’s voice was integral to SRK’s on-screen persona during that era.