Reminiscing about working on the song ‘Selfie Le Le Re’, Mayur Puri revealed that initially Salman approved the tune but was unsure about the catchy melody ‘Ae le le re’.
The iconic Bollywood song ‘Selfie Le Le Re’ from Salman Khan’s film Bajrangi Bhaijaan has a fascinating backstory. Choreographed by Remo D’Souza and composed by Pritam, the song’s lyrics were penned by Mayur Puri. Interestingly, Puri revealed that the song’s catchy hook was actually inspired by Salman Khan himself. Initially, the song’s hook was a simple ‘Ae Le Le Re’, but Salman’s input transformed it into the memorable “Selfie Le Le Re” that fans love today.
Music composer Pritam was tasked with creating a song for Bajrangi Bhaijaan which was Salman’s Eid movie. Initially, he was briefed to create a desi track that reflected the protagonist’s devotion to Hanuman. However, 10 days before filming, Pritam was informed that the song also needed to be a fun, dance track to mark Salman’s entry in the film. Pritam worked with lyricist Mayur Puri to create quirky yet respectful lyrics. The song was finalized with a humorous closing line, “Chal beta selfie le le re,” which brought laughter to the studio.
Reminiscing about working on the song ‘Selfie Le Le Re’, Mayur Puri revealed that initially Salman approved of the tune but was unsure about the catchy melody “Ae le le re”. Mayur explained to him that it was just a sound, but Salman wanted it to have meaning.
Mayur said that he then came up with “Tu meri jhappi le le re, tu meri pappi le le re”, but composer Pritam agreed with Salman that the hook needed a stronger launchpad. Mayur referenced the classic “Oye Oye” from Tridev (1989) and thought of incorporating a similar hook. Further, he said that during a brainstorming session, someone jokingly said “Chal is baat pe selfie le le”, and it clicked. He exclaimed, “Mil gaya hook yahi toh hook hai” (We’ve found the hook, this is it!).
Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, directed by Kabir Khan, featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Harshaali Malhotra, was a massive hit, earning over Rs 320 crore domestically and Rs 922 crore worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films in Indian history. Released on July 17, 2015, it is considered an all-time blockbuster, with its global success earning 10 times its budget of Rs 90 crore.
