Manoj Muntashir Responds to Javed Akhtar, Backs His Decision to Decline ‘Border 2’ Songs

Lyricist Manoj Muntashir, who has written the songs for the upcoming film Border 2, has responded to veteran poet and screenwriter Javed Akhtar’s recent remarks about turning down the project. Akhtar had revealed in an interview that the makers of Border 2 approached him to write the songs, but he declined the offer as he did not wish to revisit or recreate his earlier work from the original Border.

Reacting to this, Manoj Muntashir spoke to IANS and expressed complete support for Javed Akhtar’s decision. “Absolutely, he is completely right. If something does not inspire him and he feels he does not want to add anything to it, then as a writer and creator, it is entirely his right. We respect that,” Muntashir said.

He further explained that the filmmakers did the right thing by first approaching Javed Akhtar. “Bhushan Kumar ji, T-Series, and director Anurag Singh reached out to him first. If you are making music for Border and you don’t approach Javed Akhtar sahab, then you are doing something wrong. It was important to meet him,” Muntashir added. It is well known that Javed Akhtar had written the songs for the 1997 blockbuster Border, with music composed by Anu Malik—songs that are still regarded as classics.

Although Javed Akhtar chose not to be part of Border 2, Manoj Muntashir revealed that the legendary lyricist gave his blessings to the team. “It is absolutely true that Javed sahab blessed us and clearly said that he did not want to do the film. He told us, ‘You people do it.’ Whatever we have done is with his blessings,” Muntashir said.

Speaking about the recreation of the iconic song Sandese Aate Hain for Border 2, Muntashir clarified that the team has only tried to recreate the emotion and message of the song while maintaining full respect for the original. “Neither Mithoon nor Manoj Muntashir has any claim over that song. That song belongs only to four people, and it is their legacy—Javed Akhtar sahab, Anu Malik ji, Sonu Nigam ji, and Roop Kumar Rathod ji. Their song will remain immortal. We have only added a few small bricks, and that too lovingly, to the palace built by them,” he said.

Earlier, in an interview with India Today, Javed Akhtar had criticised the trend of reusing or remixing old hit songs, calling it a sign of “intellectual and creative bankruptcy.” He stated that he refused Border 2 because he did not want to remake or extend older songs. “If you already have a hit song and you just want to add something to it and release it again, then either make new songs or accept that you are not capable of doing work of that level,” Akhtar had said.

The songs of Border 2, released so far, have received mixed reactions from audiences. While some listeners have appreciated the new compositions, others remain divided—making the debate around creativity, legacy, and reinterpretation even more relevant as the film’s release approaches.