Music composition is considered to be one of the most creative jobs in the Indian film industry. But somehow, a lot of the ‘finest’ Bollywood musicians have eased the whole process of music composition to just two simple steps – copy and paste.
It’s no secret that Bollywood shamelessly lifts songs from other countries without ever giving them due credit. Whether it be blatant copies or cleverly twisted lyrics, tiny dissimilarities or crisp matches, Bollywood has been copying relentlessly since forever. While some music directors have copied each and everything, some have cleverly used chunks from the foreign songs and gained recognition off of them.
Coincidentally, a huge collection Indian songs have also been “inspired” by Pakistani musicians. The complete list of consists of over a hundred songs over the span of at least six decades, but our countdown consists of only some of the most popular ones.
In doubt? Take a look at some of Bollywood’s finest, inspired from some of Lollywood’s finest.
1. ‘Dil Dil Hindustaan’ from yaadon ke Mausam (1990) copied from ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ by Junaid Jamshed (1987)
2. The Disco song from the super-hit Bollywood movie Student Of The Year (2012) was copied from Pakistani Pop singer Nazia Hassan’s song Disco Deewane (1981)
3. ‘Ahun Ahun’ from Love Aaj Kal (2009) was copied from Pakistani Folk Singer Shaukat Ali’s ‘Kadi Te Has Bol Ve’ (1984)
4. Hawa Banke by Darshan Raval (2019) copied from Boohey Barian by Pakistai singer- Hadiqa Kiani (1998)
5. Bollywood movie ‘Judai’ (1997) copied it’s song ‘Sajna Tere Bina’ from Shehenshah-e-Qawwali- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Sanu Ek Pal Chain Na Aawe (1990)
6. The title track of the 2002 movie Sayonee has been copied from the famous hit ‘Sayonee’ by Pakistani Rock band- Junoon (1997)
7. Munni Badnam Hui from Dabangg (2010) has been copied from Ladka Badnam Hua Haseena Tere Liye from pakistani film Mr. Charlie (1993)
8. ‘Tumhe Apna Banane Ki Kasam’ from Sadak (1991) was copied from ‘Chale To Kat Hi Jayega Safar’ by Musarrat Nazir (1983)
9. ‘Tu Meri Zindagi Hai’ from Ashiqi (1990) was copied from ‘Tu Meri Zindagi hai’ by Pakistani singer Tasawwur Khanum (1972)
10. ‘Hawa Hawa’ from Mubarakan (2017) was inspired from pakistani singer Hasan Jahangir’s ‘Hava hava’ (1989)
11. ‘Kinna Sona’ from Marjaavaan has been copied from ‘kinna Sona Tenu Rab Ne Banaya’ by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1994)
12. Shreya Ghoshal and Tanishk Bagchi’s song ‘Zalima Coca Cola’ (2021) is a copy of Noor Jahan’s song ‘Zaalima Coca Cola Pila De’ from the Pakistani film Chan Te Soorma
13. ‘Dekhte Dekhte’ from Batti Gul Meter Chalu (2018) copied from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Sochta houn’ (1985)
14. ‘In Dino’ from 2007 Romance Drama film- Life in a Metro was inspired from ‘Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat’ by Pakistani musician Waqar Ali (2001)
15. ‘The Punjaabban Song’ sung by Abrar-ul-Haq for the movie jugjugg jeeyo (2022) was inspired from the 2002 Pakistani film Kaun Bane Ga Karorpati’s song ‘Naach Punjaaban’
16. ‘Gham hai ya Khushi hai tu’ from Satyamev Jayate 2 (2021) copied from ‘Gham hai ya Khushi hai tu’ by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1988)
17. ‘Aao Raja’ from Gabbar is Back (2015) has been copied from ‘kundi Na kharka Soniya’ by Pakistani folk singer Naseebo Lal (2006)
18. ‘Bajre Da Sitta’ by Rashmeet Kaur, Deep Kalsi and ikka (2021) copied from ‘Bajre Da Sitta’ sung by Musarrat Nazir as a tribute to the farmers and cultivators of Pakistan (1989)
19. ‘Tumhari Nazron Mein Humne Dekha’ from the movie Kal Ki Awaz (1992) copied from ‘Humaari Saanson Mei’ from the Pakistani film Mere Huzoor (1977)
20. ‘Tu cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast’ from Mohra (1994) copied from ‘Dam Mast Qalandar Mast Mast’ by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1994)
21. ‘Agar Tum Mil Jao’ from Emran Hashmi’s 2005 movie- Zeher is a rip off of Tasawwur Khanum’s ‘Agar Tum Mil Jao Zamana Chod Denge Hum’ from the Pakistani film- Imandar.
22. ‘Bohot Pyar Karte Hai Tumko Sanam’ from Saajan (1991) copied from the Pakistani song ‘Bohot Khoobsurat Hai Mera Sanam’ by the Shehenzhah-e-Ghazal Mehdi Hassan
23. ‘Dil Galti Kar Baitha Hai’ by Jubin Nautiyal (2021) copied from Bol Kaffara by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1989)
https://youtu.be/FnVCKofrJ84
24. ‘Tujhe Bhoolna Toh Chaha’ by Jubin Nautiyal and Rochak Kohli (2021) copied from Pakistani singer Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi’s ‘Tujhe Bhoolna Toh Chaha’ (2013)
25. ‘Halka Halka’ from the musical-drama film Fanney Khan (2018) has been copied from ‘Ye Jo Halka Halka’ by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1991)