Pakistani singer Hasan Jahangir claims makers of Dhurandhar paid him $50,000 to use his iconic track Hawa Hawa

Hasan Jahangir’s iconic track Hawa Hawa played during the introduction of Sanjay Dutt's character SP Chaudhary Aslam in Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar.

Actor Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar leans heavily into retro nostalgia, weaving classic tracks into some of the film’s most pivotal moments. Now, veteran Pakistani singer Hasan Jahangir has claimed that the makers of the Aditya Dhar directorial paid him $50,000 (Around ₹45 lakh) to secure the rights to his iconic song Hawa Hawa for the film.

Hasan Jahangir's iconic track Hawa Hawa was released in 1987.

Hasan Jahangir on his song in Dhurandhar

Recently, Hasan Jahangir joined host Nida Yasir in ARY Digital Ramadan transmission Shan e Sahoor, where he spoke about his career, and his famous song Hawa Hawa being used in Dhurandhar.

During the conversation, Hasan Jahangir mentioned that Hawa Hawa was used recently in a ₹100 crore film, noting that it went on to make ₹1100 crore. He was hinting at Dhurandhar.

Following this, the host asked if he was paid anything for using the song. To which, Hasan Jahangir, “Ji hain, makers mein mujhe $50,000 diye. Paise bhi diye aur permission bhi li (They paid me money and took permission to use the song as well).”

At this point, the host brought up the title of the film Dhurandhar, noting that it was a good thing the makers had taken permission.

Hasan Jahangir shared, “Pehle copyright system nahi tha. But abhi jo bhi mere gaane use karta hai, woh pehle permission leta hai aur paise bhi deta hai. Hawa Hawa 40 saal pehle aaya tha. Maine usko 1986 mein record kiya tha aur 1987 mein launch kiya tha (Earlier, there was no copyright system. But now, whoever wants to use my songs first takes permission and also pays for it. Hawa Hawa came out 40 years ago. I recorded it in 1986 and it was released in 1987).”

Hasan Jahangir’s iconic track Hawa Hawa played during the introduction of SP Aslam (Sanjay Dutt), setting the tone as he confronts drug peddlers in a stark white desert. With effortless style and flair, the police officer takes them down one by one, turning the sequence into a memorable entry scene.

Apart from Hawa Hawa, Dhurandhar used several other retro Hindi tracks into its narrative. The film features songs such as Na Toh Karvan Ki Talaash Hai from Barsaat Ki Raat, Ramba Ho by Usha Uthup, Piya Tu Ab To Aaja from Caravan, and a reworked version of Na De Dil Pardesi Nu/Jogi.

About Dhurandhar

Helmed by Aditya Dhar, the spy action thriller is the first instalment of a two-part film series. It tells the story of an Indian spy infiltrating Karachi’s criminal and political underworld in Pakistan. The plot weaves together several real-life events involving geopolitical tensions, such as the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and events surrounding Operation Lyari.

Released on December 5, the film collected over ₹1300 crore worldwide and became the first Bollywood film to cross ₹1000 crore at the domestic box office. Its sequel is slated to release on March 19.

The film was initially set for a box office showdown with Yash’s much-anticipated Toxic, but the clash was avoided after the latter postponed its release from March 19 to June 4. However, the spy thriller will now face fresh competition from Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh. Both films are releasing on March 19.