Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chak De! India’ song was rejected 7 times, film picked up after the iconic title track was played during 2007 India-Pakistan T20 match

During the recent Asia Cup final, the song ‘Chak De! India’ was played on repeat as India won over Pakistan by five wickets. Originally the title track of the Shah Rukh Khan film released in 2007, the song quickly became a beloved sports anthem. Music composers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant recently revealed that the song was rejected seven times before its success.

About 'Chak De'
In a conversation with Lallantop, the composers disclosed that the movie was originally named ‘Chak De,’ and it was Aditya Chopra who later added “India” to the title. Sulaiman expressed that reading the script moved him to tears. He explained, “Chak De India is a very patriotic film without it being patriotic, so the first thought that came to our mind was that the title track should be a patriotic song.”


Composers were asked to change the song's tone
The makers were unhappy with the song’s patriotic vibe and requested the composers to alter it. The composers shared that the track was turned down seven times, almost causing them to leave the project. Yet, they persisted due to the film’s importance. They fondly remembered Aditya Chopra’s direction, which guided them to get it right. Salim Merchant recalled, “Aditya Chopra told me, ‘I want the whole India to sing this song when India wins any kind of game, whether it is cricket, hockey, chess, or any other games. Let’s make a sports anthem. Just like the whole world dances to the track ‘Jooma Chumma De De’, just like that.’”

Inspiration and creation of the title track
Salim shared that they were inspired by Amitabh Bachchan’s song and realized repeating ‘Chak De’ twice would enhance the track. Despite being rejected seven times, the composers created the song within two hours after receiving Aditya’s brief. Salim said, “We were dying for four months. The song was just not being made but all the obstacles just vanished.”

He also recalled that Chak De India had the poorest opening of Shah Rukh Khan’s career initially, but the film’s popularity soared after the song was played during the 2007 T20 final between India and Pakistan. “The film didn’t have a good opening, but it picked up on Monday because during the weekend, India played against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final and we won the match. The song became popular and so did the film,” he said.

Yash Chopra’s instinct and adaptation of the song
The composers appreciated Yash Chopra’s sharp instincts and recalled how he urgently requested a song for a key scene just a week before Chak De India’s release. They explained that they had originally composed a song for the film Dor, which was rejected by director Nagesh Kukunoor. They later adapted the melody from that discarded track for “Maula Mere,” allowing them to deliver the song within a week. Salim said, “We had made the song for Dor, but the director wanted something positive, so he refused this song. We realised the melody of the rejected song fits with the situation of Chak De India.”

More about 'Chak De! India'
The film is a sports drama about a disgraced former captain of the Indian men's national field hockey team, Kabir Khan, who returns years later to coach the Indian women's national team. The story follows his efforts to unite a diverse group of players and lead them to international success.