Anu Malik reveals Javed Akhtar walked out after featuring 'Check that, like that' in Main Hoon Na qawwali

Renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar initially walked out of a qawwali song in the film "Main Hoon Na" due to objections over the inclusion of English words, according to music composer Anu Malik. The song, titled "Tumse Milke Dil Ka," composed by Malik and sung by Sonu Nigam, was directed by Farah Khan.

The song, which became a hit and has endured as an earworm over the years, was a quirky take on qawwali. It featured Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan and Amrita Rao. Although shot as a conventional qawwali, it had certain elements that made it stand out in 2004, the year it was released.

What was Javed Akhtar's objection?
In a recent podcast, Anu Malik revealed that he came up with the words "Check that, like that" while composing the Tumse Milke Dil Ka tune. But during the making of the song, while narrating the melody with these words, Javed Akhtar did not take too kindly to the inclusion of English in the qawwali. "'The words koi qawwali mein hote hain?' Javed Saab said and left,” Anu recalled.

How did he manage to write the song?
Anu Malik added that Akhtar walked away from the set until director Farah Khan convinced him to return. “Farah told Javed Saab, 'No, Anu is right. I want a 'funky qawwali'." She insisted that the lyricist follow her brief as the music composer because she wanted a "funky qawwali", not a conventional one.

"Funky Qawwali" Impact
Anu said the song turned out to be a template for every funky qawwali that has followed since. “Qawwali ka apna ek andaaz hota hai (Qawwali has its own style). Well written by Javed Saab. He, me, Sonu and the qawwals, we all came together to create something memorable,” he added.

He also talked about the importance of composition to the character and the world the film is set in. He added that a song like Roshni Se from SRK's Asoka (2001) would not go well with Govinda in David Dhawan's cauldron.

Interestingly, three years after Main Hoon Na, Javed Akhtar wrote an Urdu disco song with Farah and Shah Rukh Khan, Dard-e-Disco, in Om Shanti Om. Akhtar most famously wrote the qawwali Sheher Ke Dukandaron sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on the 1996 album Sangam.