Javed Akhtar declined to write songs for ‘Border 2’; calls song remakes lazy and intellectually bankrupt

Fans of the classic war drama ‘Border’ have been buzzing ever since news of ‘Border 2’ broke. The original 1997 film had some unforgettable songs penned by Javed Akhtar, with music by Anu Malik. Naturally, many thought the iconic duo would return for the sequel. But here’s the twist: Javed Akhtar has politely but firmly said no.

Speaking to India Today, the legendary lyricist explained why he turned down the offer. “They did ask me to write for the film, but I refused. I really feel this is a kind of intellectual and creative bankruptcy,” Javed said making it clear he isn’t interested in simply rehashing old hits.

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Old songs, new tricks? Not for Javed Akhtar

It seems that ‘Border 2’ is leaning heavily on nostalgia. Several songs from the original film have been reworked and unveiled ahead of the release. Social media is full of voices calling for the return of Javed Akhtar and Anu Malik, hoping for the magic of the 1997 soundtrack to come alive again.

But Javed is not buying it.

“Why take an old song that did well and just add something to it?” he asked. “Make new songs, or else accept that you cannot match the original. Recreating the past isn’t the same as creating something new.”

Javed went on to give a history lesson with a touch of wisdom. He cited ‘Haqeeqat’ (1964), another classic war film with memorable songs like ‘Kar chale hum fida’ and ‘Main yeh sochkar uske dar se utha tha’.

“Those were brilliant songs, but we didn’t reuse them. We wrote new ones. And people loved them. The point is, if you’re making a new movie, why not make new songs?” he explained.

Javed believes that clinging to past glory isn’t just lazy, it’s creatively limiting. “You are making a movie again, so create new songs. Why are you depending on the past? You have accepted that we can’t do it. We will live with the past glory,” he added.