'Bombay Rockers was coming to end': Aari Aari singer says song's revival in Dhurandhar 2 changed his life

Dhurandhar 2's success brought renewed attention to Bombay Rockers’ musicians Navtej Singh Rehal (Naf) and Thomas Sardorf.

When the first trailer of Dhurandhar 2 was released earlier this year, what captivated the audience was not just the slick action and realism, but also the background track. The trailer was set to Aari Aari from Bombay Rockers. The iconic track was revived for the film, introducing the much-loved song to a new generation. It also brought focus back to Bombay Rockers, an almost-forgotten musical group from the 2000s.

The Bombay Rockers revival after Dhurandhar 2

Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar The Revenge alone accounted for over half of all the box office earnings of Bollywood in 2026.

Just like the first Dhurandhar had Panjabi MC's Jogi, Dhurandhar 2 had Aari Aari. The film's success made the song trend on charts and Reels once again, bringing renewed attention to Bombay Rockers’ musicians Navtej Singh Rehal (Naf) and Thomas Sardorf. Navtej has now said that the film changed his life.

Speaking to ANI at the Denmark Day celebrations in New Delhi, Navtej Singh Rehal said that he'd begun to feel that the Bombay Rockers chapter was coming to an end. However, the film’s success made him realise that the show is still very much on.

“Well, I actually thought many years ago that Bombay Rockers was coming to an end, but Dhurandhar has taught me differently. And I think we just got a really nice comeback, and after many years' break,” the musician said. Bombay Rockers was formed in 2003 and became popular in the mid-2000s for their new-age Punjabi sound. The group's most recent album was released in 2010, sixteen years ago. Apart from Dhurandhar, their songs have also been used in Rocky Handsome and Satellite Shankar.

Bombay Rockers comprises Navtej and Thomas Randolf.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the two Dhurandhar films have been the most successful duology in Indian cinema history, minting over ₹3100 crore combined. The films, spy thrillers rooted in reality, star Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy in Pakistan. The star cast also includes Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor, and Sara Arjun.

The films' music, composed by Shashwat Sachdev, also earned praise, particularly for the way it used retro classic songs, remixed and remastered for modern-day audiences. The films are produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar, and Lokesh Dhar under the banner of Jio Studios and B62 Studios. Both Dhurandhar films are now streaming on Netflix and JioHotstar.