Tips Films and Music released the recreated version of ‘Chunnari Chunnari’ on Tuesday afternoon as part of the album for the upcoming comedy ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’. The new version features Varun Dhawan alongside Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. Both the original film and the upcoming one have been directed by David Dhawan, and the film’s very title is inspired by a popular song from the 1999 hit ‘Biwi No. 1’.
The song dropped. The reactions came faster.
What the internet said
The comment section under the TIPS post was flooded with disappointment from netizens, especially those who grew up in the 90s. One user wrote, “Itne acche gane ki aisi taisi krdi,” while another said, “Don’t play with our emotions.”
On Twitter (X), fans were furious.
The core complaint was consistent across platforms. People felt remake had stripped away energy and charm of the original.
Many comment threads turned into a comparison between the two versions, with the original winning every time.
Nooooo!!!! Og chunnari chunnari was soooo good har cheez ka remake nahi karte! Acha song barbad kar dia https://t.co/9UMScv8lO6
— avani Shah 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@pranalilover) May 26, 2026
They redid Chunnari Chunnari 😭 why!? The original was the best! pic.twitter.com/1FloBGkxNA
— Seven (Fan Account) (@Ju_lie35) May 27, 2026
They’ve ruined Chunnari Chunnari pic.twitter.com/4khc2Hlg5e
— Sinamika (@sinamikaaaa) May 27, 2026
No offence but, Chunnari Chunaari will always mean Sushmita Sen and Salman Khan!!!
— Neo B. (@neobluepanther) May 27, 2026
The new Chunnari Chunnari is so bad like why even why
— OM (@omni2929) May 26, 2026
Heard the new chunnari chunnari and felt like throwing up. How we doing @iksitaara
— Shiv ⊙⊝⊜ (@vekamleyaa) May 26, 2026
The remix of Chunnari Chunnari is so bad 🤢 Mrunal’s styling, the choreography everything so off
— ℘ཞı 🌷💝🧘♀️ (@priyank65601552) May 26, 2026
This one is the pure definition of “sunte hi naachne ka Mann kar gaya” whereas the remake released of late is the “sunte hi rone ka mann kar gaya”pic.twitter.com/EGFmzy8DQz
— 🐧 (@emptyyechoes) May 26, 2026
The nostalgia factor
The original ‘Chunnari Chunnari’ starred Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen and went on to become one of the most popular dance tracks of its time. For a generation that grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s, it was far more than a film song.
It played at weddings, family gatherings, school functions and stayed in the cultural memory long after ‘Biwi No. 1’ stopped airing on television.
Original singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya himself admitted he never expected the song to become so era-defining. He said that over the last 25 years, he would hear it at public celebrations and wonder why people loved it so deeply.
The singer also reacts
The loudest voice against the remake came from Abhijeet Bhattacharya himself. He said he was completely unaware of the remake and claimed that neither the film’s director nor the music composer had informed him.
Abhijeet called the new version a “bhajan,” saying the original was a romantic track and the makers had turned it into something unrecognisable.
He did not hold back on Varun Dhawan either. “The actor has only done second-hand films, especially when his father directed the original films. He also uses the same songs that were once a hit. Varun Dhawan iss gaane se Salman Khan nahi ban sakta,” he said.
He also drew a sharper comparison: “Salman Khan aur Varun Dhawan mein utna hi farak hai jitna Amitabh Bachchan aur Asrani mein hai.”
‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ is releasing on June 5, 2026.