Indian audiences were introduced to Pakistani singer Mustafa Zahid when he sang Awarapan's tracks Toh Phir Aao and Tera Mera Rishta. The songs became the soul of the film and also played a major role in helping it attain cult status. However, after almost two decades, when the film's sequel, Awarapan 2, has been released in theatres, Mustafa's voice is missing from the film.
At a recent concert in Chicago, the singer addressed his absence from the film's tracks, which have been recreated by different singers. He expressed his discontent at not being part of the film. Addressing his audience at the concert, he said, "This is the first song of my life that I wrote. This is the first song of my life that I composed and it happens to be the first song that I sang in my life. It is unfortunate that sometimes art has to suffer because of all the politics around the world. So, unfortunately, I am not part of the album, but the amount of love and respect that I have always received from the Indians is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much guys."
The songs proved to be a major turning point in Mustafa's career. The overwhelming response to his music in Awarapan led him to sing in several other Bollywood films, including Blood Money, Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain, among others.
Mustafa is likely absent from the sequel's album because of the long-standing restrictions on Pakistani artists working in the Indian film industry. Earlier, veteran lyricist Sayeed Quadri reacted to Mustafa’s absence from the music album of Awarapan 2. He told News18, “Bahot saari cheeze hoti hai jo haalat and waqt ko dekh ke karni padhti hai (There are a lot of things that one has to do seeing the current situation and time). The most important thing is that nation should always come first. Desh sarvapari hai."
For the unversed, the new version of Tera Mera Rishta has instead been sung by Saaj Bhatt and Subodhh Sharma. Not just Mustafa, Pritam, who had composed the music for the 2007 film, is also missing from the sequel. Amaal and Mithoon have composed the music for Awarapan 2.
Talking about the same, Sayeed had said, “Writers usually don’t have a say in this matter. So, I can’t say why Pritam isn’t a part of Awarapan 2. This call was taken by the production house. But Mithoon and Amaal have recreated the songs with a lot of heart."
Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through film reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, celebrity interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, celebrity features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema.Read More
