Abhishek Bachchan has expressed his enthusiasm for a sequel version of the iconic song “Kajra Re,” but admits the decision isn’t entirely in his hands. In a recent conversation with BBC Asian Network, the actor fondly recalled the making of the track from the 2005 film Bunty Aur Babli and said he would “love” to do a 2.0 edition with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and his father, Amitabh Bachchan.
“I don’t know if I have had more fun shooting a song than shooting ‘Kajra Re’. It was just one big happy party. We enjoyed it so much,” Abhishek shared. He remembered that the shoot took place on his birthday, and the team celebrated the occasion. Director Shaad Ali kept the song playing for nearly four hours, turning the set into an impromptu dance party. Much of that spontaneous energy was captured on camera and later incorporated into the final cut.
“Basically, what Shaad did was just put on the song and for about four hours we just had a dance party. He actually shot a lot of that and inserted those shots of us just having fun, freaking out on set in the song,” Abhishek added. He described the track as having achieved cult status and called the experience full of great memories.
When asked about revisiting the number with the same trio, Abhishek was quick to respond: “I’m down for that. I’d love it. You have got to convince Aishwarya and my dad, though.”
Featured in Bunty Aur Babli, “Kajra Re” marked the first on-screen dance collaboration between Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, with Aishwarya Rai in a memorable cameo. Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with lyrics by Gulzar, the song was sung by Alisha Chinai, Shankar Mahadevan and Javed Ali, and choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant. Two years after the film’s release, Aishwarya married Abhishek, making the track an even more special part of Bachchan family lore.
More than two decades later, the song continues to enjoy massive popularity. Fans will now wait to see whether Aishwarya and Amitabh are equally open to a fresh take on the classic.