‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ has brought “Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela” from ‘Gupt’ (1997) back to the top of charts and playlists nearly thirty years after its release. Director Rajeev Rai believes this renewed success stems from new creative inspiration, not just nostalgia.Credit to Aryan KhanTalking to Hindustan Times, Rajeev mentioned that the credit for the song’s success this time does not belong to him but to Aryan, referring to the show’s creator. He explained that Aryan took the song and used it for his series, and it worked brilliantly. He added that he feels very elated to have contributed to something that helps build Aryan’s career.
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Rajeev Rai’s selective approach to music reuseThe director of ‘Gupt’, who made the song famous in the late ’90s revealed that he rarely permits his music to be reused. He shared, “I generally don’t give my music away. It’s not that I am not selective, but I don’t like to seem getting overused. Here, I didn’t blink an eyelid.” Rajeev also highlighted the importance of trust in this decision, explaining, “Shah Rukh Khan has been gracious to me. When he asked me, I was like whatever you want. So happy it worked out for them.”The song’s impressive success metricsThe impressive figures highlight how well the song has performed: within four days following the release of the show on September 18, 2025, it accumulated more than 5 million new views on YouTube and started trending on platforms like Instagram and Spotify. Rajeev finds this response both humbling and fulfilling. When Gupt’s soundtrack, composed by Viju Shah, was released in July 1997, it became an instant hit, and Rajeev is proud to witness its enduring appeal. He says that it’s wonderful to see something created years ago find such relevance today. Sometimes all it takes is the right moment and the right storyteller to bring it back.
