Here’s why Salman Khan never liked the Kaanta Laga remix

Filmmaking duo Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, the creative minds behind numerous popular music videos and the film Sanam Teri Kasam have revisited the storm that erupted following the release of their provocative music video for Kaanta Laga. The video, featuring Shefali Jariwala as a rebellious young woman in a nightclub, sparked significant controversy for its perceived sensuality, including scenes depicting a thong and a glimpse of a pornographic magazine.

Salman Khan’s rebuke over controversial Kaanta Laga video

In a recent interview, the directors recalled the backlash they faced. “A call from the censor board saying that we have disturbed the moral fibre of the nation,” was one consequence Vinay Sapru recounted. Adding to this official censure came a personal reprimand from Bollywood superstar Salman Khan with whom the duo later collaborated on the film Lucky: No Time for Love and several song sequences.

Vinay shared Salman‘s advice: “‘Main tumhe samjha raha hoon Radhika Vinay yeh jo sexy kaam hai, kam kiya karo, acha nahi hota (I’m trying to make you understand don’t do such sexy songs, it doesn’t look good)’.

The filmmakers defended their creative choices, explaining their desire to explore new avenues after working on gentler songs with artistes like Falguni Pathak, Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhas. “As creative people we wanted to evolve,” they stated. They revealed that an impromptu moment at Salman Khan’s residence. where he was listening to a remix. sparked the idea for the trend of remixing classic songs in India. leading to tracks like Kaliyon Ka Chaman, Kaanta Laga and Chadti Jawani, which they felt naturally evoked a “nightclub” and “sensual visualisation”.

Radhika offered insights into the video’s imagery. She recounted a personal anecdote about a school friend who would avoid hand stamps at clubs, opting instead for a stamp on her neck, a detail they incorporated into the video. The inclusion of a pornographic magazine also stemmed from Radhika’s own experience of being caught reading one at school.

Vinay acknowledged the unexpected scandal the video caused. “The thong that she was wearing was all purely for fashion we didn’t realise we were disturbing the moral fibre of the country,” he explained.