Sanjay Dutt wanted Jal’s song Aadat? Gohar Mumtaz reveals what really happened

Pakistani musician Gohar Mumtaz has revealed that Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt once wanted to use Jal Band’s iconic track Aadat in his film — but the song ultimately ended up in a Bhatt production instead.

Speaking during a recent podcast appearance on a private TV channel, Gohar revisited the early days of Jal and shared how the opportunity first came up.

He recalled that at just 19, while the band was in Mumbai to launch an album in Juhu, their manager called them in for a meeting. “When we arrived, he told us that Sanjay Dutt had called and wanted to use our song Aadat in his film,” Gohar said, adding that the band was completely stunned at the time.

However, things didn’t play out as expected. “That song went to Bhatt sahab’s film instead,” he revealed. The story didn’t end there.

Gohar shared that during a later visit to Mumbai, the band invited Dutt to a concert and eventually met him at his home, where they asked how he first discovered the track. According to Gohar, Dutt told them a woman from Pakistan had introduced him to their music by handing him a CD and urging him to listen to “two new boys” — Gohar and Atif Aslam.

Dutt also mentioned that he regularly played Jal’s music in his car and that other Bollywood names — including Salman Khan, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor — were also listening to Aadat at the time.

Reflecting on that era, Gohar pointed out that Pakistani artists often received wider recognition at home only after gaining traction in Bollywood, despite already producing hit songs locally.

He added that times have changed, noting that today artists can release music online and achieve regional success across Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh without relying on external validation.

Gohar founded Jal in Lahore in 2002, with Aadat becoming one of Pakistan’s most downloaded tracks after its release in 2003. The band later went on to release albums like Boondh (2007) and Pyaas (2013), with the latter earning nominations at the Hum Awards and Lux Style Awards.