Salman Khan replaces Arijit again in Welcome To New York

By Subhash K. Jha -

February 19, 2018 - 10:45 AM IST

He did it again! Salman Khan apparently got Arijit Singh’s voice replaced with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Sultan. This is the second time Salman did away with Arijit’s voice.

While a majority of us have nothing against Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or Atif Aslam, we wonder if this is the right time to invite them to sing in Bollywood at a time when tensions on the border have escalated to an alarming pitch.

Salman Khan replaces Arijit again in Welcome To New York

In Tiger Zinda Hai we had Atif Aslam crooning Dil Diya Gallan and now there’s Atif Aslam crooning Ishtehaar in Welcome To New York. Interestingly it is being whispered that Salman Khan insisted on dubbing Arijit’s voice with Rahat’s earlier also in Sultan for the song ‘Jag Ghoomiya’. The Salman-Arijit feud goes back a long a way to an awards function which Salman had hosted and where Arijit came on stage wearing informal clothes and casual chappals. The two had exchanged barbed sarcasm on stage.

This perhaps explains why Arijit was shown the backdoor in favour of Rahat. But how do we explain Rahat’s presence in Welcome To New York?

BJP minister singer Baabul Supriyo says he is not able to comprehend the need or desire to cross the border for entertainment content at a time when war is no longer a remote concept. “If that’s true, I would request the makers of the film to remove Rahat’s voice and get someone else to dub it! I am also not sure why Atif Aslam got to sing ‘Dil Diya Gallan’ when for sure our very own Arijit could have done a much better job. The FM stations played the song galore while news channels announced the name of our soldiers martyred by PAK-sponsored terrorists.”

Baabul clarifies that India has no problems with either Atif or Rahat. “Atif as an artist sounds great in ‘Dil Diya’ and Rahat is a great singer too. But it's important to clarify that our problem is not with the artists, Atif or Rahat but with their Pakistani nationality. It's not a political stand but probably the families who have lost their sons, brothers, fathers would feel a lot better should the entire country show solidarity in any manner possible.”

Bollywood, says Baabul, has a national responsibility. “Bollywood is an integral part of that Indianism. It represents India worldwide; hence banning Pakistani artists in Indian films would have also taken the protest against organised terrorism by the rogue nation, worldwide. And, I very clearly recall that such a promise was made when Ae Dil Hai Mushkil had met with protests due to Fawad Khan.”

And why is Pakisan’s entertainment industry silent over cross-border terrorism? Baabul wonders, “It’s pertinent to note that one cannot recall a single Pak artist made famous by Bollywood, condemn terror acts by Pakistan. Enough is enough now, ban them for their only crime, that is being a Pakistani. Let we Indians wear our hearts on our sleeves and let our hearts beat in salutation of the sacrifice of our brave hearts.”

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