A beloved 1990s musical memory has found its way back into the spotlight, and Anu Malik is clearly feeling the emotion of the moment. As Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai moves closer to its theatrical release on June 5, 2026, the composer has extended warm wishes to Varun Dhawan while applauding producers Ramesh Taurani and Kumar Taurani, and calling David Dhawan an amazing director.
The sentiment carries extra nostalgia because the film’s campaign has leaned into the legacy of “Chunnari Chunnari”, the evergreen chartbuster from David Dhawan’s Biwi No. 1. The trailer credits for Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai list “Chunnari Chunnari Let’s Go!”, with original music credited to Anu Malik and original lyrics to Sameer, making Malik’s public affection for the team feel like a neat full circle moment.
Anu Malik Backs Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
Anu Malik’s message adds to the film’s upbeat pre-release energy, especially as the David Dhawan entertainer brings together a glossy ensemble and a music-heavy campaign. His praise for Varun Dhawan also lands at a time when the actor is returning to the classic commercial comedy space closely associated with his father’s cinema.
At the trailer launch, David Dhawan summed up the film’s appeal in his own words, saying, “This is my 46th film, and entertaining my audience continues to give me the biggest joy. The film has all the ingredients of a classic family entertainer, humour, confusion, music, and heart.”
Ramesh Taurani also addressed the conversation around the film’s music rights dispute at the event and said, “There’s no problem at all. Hamara jo bhi tha, woh sort hua hai. Aur aage bhi sort ho jaayega. So, there’s no problem. Also, it’s a sub-judice matter. Hence, we are handling it.”
What The Film Brings To The Big Screen
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is directed by David Dhawan and produced by Ramesh Taurani under Tips Films, with Gaurav Bose of Maximilian Films UK as co-producer. The film stars Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde, along with Maniesh Paul, Chunky Panday, Jimmy Sheirgill and Mouni Roy.
The film is positioned as a Hindi romantic comedy built around a chaotic love triangle. Its tone blends romance, comic confusion, music and family-friendly humour, the kind of mainstream entertainer David Dhawan has long been identified with.
Varun Dhawan’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Varun Dhawan’s recent slate has moved between theatrical entertainers and streaming experiments. In 2024, he led the action film Baby John, produced by Atlee, and starred opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Raj and DK’s Citadel: Honey Bunny on Amazon Prime Video. Before that, he appeared in Nitesh Tiwari’s Bawaal in 2023, which premiered on Prime Video, and headlined Bhediya in 2022 with Kriti Sanon.
In 2025, Varun reunited with Shashank Khaitan and Janhvi Kapoor for Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, which underperformed commercially. Earlier in 2026, he featured in Border 2, directed by Anurag Singh and headlined by Sunny Deol. His next confirmed theatrical release is Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai on June 5, 2026.
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