Joota Hai Japani to Chamma Chamma: 7 Hollywood movies that featured Bollywood songs

Mera Joota Hai Japani from Raj Kapoor's 1955 movie, Shree 420 was used after 61 years in Deadpool. Read on to check how many of these Bollywood songs did you notice while watching Hollywood movies.

By: Anumeha Saxena |
October 9, 2017 2:26 pm

A lot of times we have seen and heard that Bollywood takes inspiration from Hollywood, but there have been many times when Hollywood took fancy to the Hindi film industry and we have proof. Time and again, Hollywood has used popular Bollywood songs in their movies, sometimes as background music, or while the opening credits are rolling.

From the most famous one, Mera Joota Hai Japani from Raj Kapoor’s 1955 movie, Shree 420 being used after 61 years in the 2016 blockbuster Deadpool, to Shah Rukh and Malaika Arora Khan’s Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se (1998) in Inside Man (2006) – the love for Bollywood clearly spreads far and wide.

Not just these, old songs like Mera Mann Tera Pyasa from the 1971-Gambler was used in Hollywood superhit Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and Jaan Pehchan Ho from Gumnaam (1975) was used during the opening credits in Ghost World (2001). Newer songs like Jimmy Jimmy (Disco Dancer, 1982), Pardesi Pardesi (Raja Hindustani, 1996) and Chalka Chalka Re (Saathiya, 2002) got featured in movies like You Don’t Mess With Zohan (2008), V for Vendetta (2005) and Accidental Husband (2008) respectively.

So, here’s 7 times when Hollywood paid tribute to our beautiful numbers and made us feel proud of Bollywood, for once. *kidding*

1. Mera Joota Hai Japani (Shree 420, 1955) in Deadpool (2016)

Mera Joota Hai Japani plays in the background in the taxi

2. Chaiyya Chaiyya (Dil Se, 1998) in Inside Man (2006)

3. Chamma Chamma (Qila, 1998) in Moulin Rouge (2001)

4. Tere Bin Nahi Lagda by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Bend it like Beckham (2002)

Not exactly a Bollywood number, but a hugely popular track by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan featured in Gurinder Chaddha’s Bend It Like Beckham. Even A R Rahman paid tribute to the song in Guru (2007) with Tere Bina.

5. Mundiya Tu Bach Ke Rahi (1999) featured in The Dictator (2012)

Originally a Punjabi bhangra song composed by Labh Janua, this song’s remix version by the United Kingdom band Punjabi MC was first used in Amitabh Bachchan and Katrina Kaif-starrer Boom (2003). It was later picked up by Hollywood and played during The Dictator‘s opening credits.

6. Chori Chori Hum Gori Se (Mela, 2000) in The Guru (2002)

Both the movies were a disaster. But this song of Mela, which was used in The Guru during one of the scenes, became so popular it seems that if you do a google search for the song, the first search will be that of The Guru and not Mela. Funny isn’t it?

7. Bombay Theme (Bombay, 1995) in Lord of War (2005)

(Also read: 9 most underrated and beautiful Bollywood songs that deserve to be heard)

(Also read: 12 awkward Bollywood movie posters you won’t be able to unsee. Sorry, not sorry)

Did we miss any song?