Few moments in the first Dhurandhar film captured audiences quite like Sanjay Dutt’s entry – set to the instantly recognisable beats of Hawa Hawa, a 40-year-old Pakistani pop classic. But behind the scene lies a story that has sparked a fierce debate online.
Veteran Pakistani singer Hasan Jahangir recently revealed that the makers of Dhurandhar paid him $50,000 – approximately Rs 46 lakh – to officially license the track for use in the film, setting off a wave of reactions across social media that shows no signs of dying down.
The revelation and what Jahangir said
Jahangir made the revelation during an appearance on ARY Digital’s Ramadan show Shan-e-Sahoor, hosted by Nida Yasir, where he confirmed: “Ji hain, makers ne mujhe $50,000 diye. Paise bhi diye aur permission bhi li” – meaning the makers both paid him and took his formal permission before using the track.
He also used the occasion to shed light on how copyright practices in the music industry have evolved over the decades.
Jahangir explained: “Pehle copyright system nahi tha. But abhi jo bhi mere gaane use karta hai, woh pehle permission leta hai aur paise bhi deta hai. Hawa Hawa 40 saal pehle aaya tha. Maine usko 1986 mein record kiya tha aur 1987 mein launch kiya tha” – inferring that earlier there was no formal copyright system, but now anyone wishing to use his songs must seek permission and pay accordingly.
The song is itself based on the 1970s Persian track Havar Havar by Kourosh Yaghmaei. The makers of Dhurandhar have not issued any statement or clarification in response to Jahangir’s claim.
The backlash and the online debate
The revelation triggered an immediate and polarised reaction online. X user @Chaotic_mind99 wrote: “Hawa Hawa track used in Dhurandhar was sung by a Pakistani singer Hasan Jahangir. Dil Pe Zakhm Khate Hain track in Dhurandhar 2 was sung by another Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. So Aditya Dhar paid Pakistan and claimed legal rights of these songs. And Pakistan will again use this money to sponsor terrorism against India.”
Another user, @idfcwau, was equally scathing, writing: “Blud made URI and went ahead to pay such an amount just to use a song. Making Indians fool is the easiest job one can do.” These posts both received likes in the thousands with many people agreeing with the sentiment.
X user @SurrbhiM also made the claim that the Hassan had donated his check to the Pakistan army. “Aditya Dhar directed a film portraying Pakistan’s role in terror attacks in India. He used a song in the movie, Hawa Hawa, which was originally written by a Pakistani artist. The writer was paid around $50,000 (roughly 14 million Pakistani rupees), and he donated the money to the Pakistan Army. But bhakts have now started treating Aditya Dhar as their new father,” Their post read.
One user – pushing back against this narrative – commented, “Hasan Jahangir confirmed receiving $50k for the legal rights to “Hawa Hawa” in Dhurandhar — a standard copyright payment for a 40-year-old song. However, no credible source shows he donated any of it to the Pakistan Army, AWT, or PAF. Faltu ka rona band karo.”
Many others also pushed back strongly, arguing that licensing music legally and transparently – regardless of the artist’s nationality – is the correct and ethical approach, and that paying for copyright is a sign of integrity rather than hypocrisy. The makers have stayed silent, leaving the debate entirely in the hands of the internet.
Disclaimer: The social media comments included are reported for informational purposes only. They represent individual opinions circulating online and have not been verified. Financialexpress.com does not endorse any of the claims made.