Dua Lipa wowed fans in Mumbai during her concert. A highlight of the concert was her performance of the viral Levitating x Woh Ladki Jo mashup, created by DJ Ruchir Kulkarni, with desi dance moves. The surprise performance quickly went viral, thrilling Shah Rukh Khan‘s fans.
A controversy sparked online as netizens debated who should be credited for the song—Shah Rukh Khan, who featured in the original track, or singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, who provided the vocals.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Abhijeet dismissed it as unnecessary and compared it to those fueling it to “mosquitoes.” He explained that Dua Lipa was likely unaware that the song was originally Shah Rukh Khan’s and assumed, like the singer, that Shah Rukh was as integral to the track as any artist. He added that while Shah Rukh may be a superstar, it was he, Abhijeet, who had sung the song, and emphasised that Dua Lipa’s misunderstanding wasn’t her fault.The singer further explained that the “battle” for credit involves “three icons”—Shah Rukh Khan, Dua Lipa, and himself. He shared that his phone was flooded with calls from around the world once the song played at Dua’s concert, with people recognizing it as his. He emphasized that he never sought credit for the song, pointing out that Baadshah (1999) wasn’t a hit when it first released, with its music being the standout, and that the song only gained massive popularity after DJ Ruchir’s viral mashup four years ago.
For Bhattacharya, the song’s “biggest plus point” is having Shah Rukh Khan in it. He clarified that there is no issue between him and SRK, stating that once the song played, people recognized his contribution. He also speculated that Shah Rukh must be amused by the ongoing situation.
Unhappy with his father not being given due credit, Abhijeet’s son, Jay, had taken to Instagram on Sunday where he wrote in a story: “The problem is that no one talks about it. What happened to- Woh Ladki Jo- Abhijeet? Unfortunately we live in a country where not one news outlet or Instagram page has mentioned the voice and the artists of this song. Why has it always been about actors in this country? I’m sure when @dualipa heard this song she must have heard it and not seen it and not appreciated the man that has sung this song and yes it is not SRK.”
Reacting to the same, Abhijeet remarked that some people may never realise that the song isn’t just about Shah Rukh Khan. He gave an example, saying that while Khai Ke Paan Banaras Wala from Don (1978) is sung by Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan‘s fans often consider it his song.
