As the original film’s beloved song ‘Toh phir aao, mujhko sataao…’ echoed through cinema halls screening ‘Awarapan 2’, fans of Emraan Hashmi couldn’t contain their excitement, with clips showing audiences enthusiastically singing along. Amid this, Pakistani singer Mustafa Zahid, who has repeatedly expressed frustration over losing his spot to Mithoon on the song’s revamped rendition, wrote an emotional post after watching the film in a Canadian theater, opening up about hearing his own voice woven into the movie. Meanwhile, producer Vishesh Bhatt chose to sidestep the ongoing controversy over the new version, simply stating that what is rightfully yours remains yours regardless.

‘Awarapan 2′ producer calls the replacement inevitable

Speaking with Hindustan Times, ‘Awarapan 2’ producer Vishesh Bhatt addressed the question of Mustafa Zahid’s replacement, noting that such a shift was inevitable. This comes against the backdrop of the ongoing ban preventing Pakistani artists from working within the Indian film industry. He added, “I find the questions ridiculous sometimes. For instance, I was not part of Jannat 2. But nobody takes Jannat away from me. Maine banaya hai (I have made it). Why do people think something is taken away? Some of that is very internet-driven, and sometimes the talent also gets gaslit by fans ki aapki izzat nahi rakhi (they didn’t respect you). It’s nothing to do with any of that. What is yours will always be yours.”Bhatt further elaborated that the choice to move on without the singer stemmed from both the prevailing “climate” and artistic reasoning. Even had Mustafa been part of the project, he noted, reworking the two tracks would have posed its own difficulties. He pointed out that Pritam, too, had previously recreated some of Mustafa’s popular songs and was well aware of how tricky such an undertaking can be. Vishesh added that revisiting a hit track is inherently tough, since listeners inevitably compare it to the original, leaving musicians with the difficult task of living up to or outdoing their past work.

Mustafa Zahid reflects on ‘Awarapan 2’ watching his legacy on screen

“Nearly two decades ago, Awarapan gave me a place in millions of hearts. Tonight, sitting in a theatre watching Awarapan 2, time stood still. In that opening minute, 19 years of my life flashed before my eyes,” he wrote in a recent post.Mustafa also made it clear that he holds no grudge against the song’s recreated version. He wrote, “Tonight, the film began with my voice, followed by the loud cheers from the crowd and in that particular moment, I think I received what I always wanted: Dignity and Insane amount of love from all of you.” The singer wrapped up his note by congratulating the film’s team and expressing hope of reconnecting with fans in ‘Awarapan 3’, which has already been greenlit.

‘Awarapan 2’ cast and crew details

‘Awarapan 2’, directed by Nitin Kakkar, stars Emraan Hashmi in the lead, with Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi rounding out the cast.