Alisha Chinai reveals Kajra Re trivia: last-minute call and Gulzar wrote the alaap in 10–15 minutes

Alisha Chinai has shared behind-the-scenes trivia about Kajra Re from Bunty Aur Babli (2005) in a conversation with Komal Nahta. She describes the project as an item song that might have involved Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as the composers and Gulzar saab credited for the lyrics. Chinai quotes the moment the alaap was created: “The makers told me that it was an item song and that maybe Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would be doing it. Moreover, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy were the composers, while Gulzar saab had written the lyrics. I was completely spellbound by the whole experience, especially how Gulzar saab wrote the song. The alaap in the song was created on the spot. He wrote it in 10-15 minutes.”

The last-minute call and a quick rush to the studio

Chinai recounts how she was summoned from Alibaug with an urgency that reflected the project’s stakes. “I was chilling in my house in Alibaug. I am a loner… So, Ehsaan called me and asked, ‘Can you get here in 2 hours?’ I replied, ‘No. I am chilling in Alibaug’. His answer was, ‘Alisha, it’s a very important song. Please get here’.” She hurried to Purple Haze Studio, where she found Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Gulzar saab, and stars Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan waiting. Chinai describes the moment she realized the scope of the track: “This is the song you have to sing.” She recalls being urged to sing in her own style, as they aimed to fuse a modern pop sensibility with a qawwali vibe.

Recording, collaboration, and on-set reactions

According to Chinai, the recording wrapped in about two hours. She was called back about a week later after Aditya Chopra expressed a desire for more of her voice in the song, and she returned to record another verse. She admits she cannot recall exactly what that additional portion was, but the experience contributed to the track’s final texture.

Aishwarya Rai, on-screen reception, and the enduring impact

Chinai notes the strong reception Kajra Re received in cinemas, recalling the audience response as “Sab paise fek rahe the.” She also recalls Aishwarya Rai looking like a goddess on screen, and believes her voice complemented Rai’s presence so closely that it felt as if she herself were singing the track.

The full interview is published on Bollywood Hungama. The original report can be read here: the original report.

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Published on the DPIFF feed, this behind-the-scenes glimpse adds color to Kajra Re’s making and CIndia’s pop-qawwali fusion legacy. For ongoing DPIFF entertainment coverage, stay tuned to those DPIFF pages.