Anu Malik Feels Thrilled As Asoka Song San Sanana Goes Global: ‘Finally Getting My Reward’

The latest TikTok trend, ‘AsokaMakeup,’ has gone viral, featuring women worldwide doing makeup while lip syncing to the song San Sanana from the 2001 Bollywood film Asoka, sung by Alka Yagnik and featuring Kareena Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan. The content creators are seen transforming themselves into Indian brides, wearing traditional wedding attire and makeup. Meanwhile, Anu Malik, who composed the song nearly 20 years ago, is on cloud nine seeing his song trending internationally. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Malik shared that his daughter was the first to break the news to him that the song has gone viral. Expressing his joy, the musician feels that his hard work from 2000 is finally being rewarded.

Malik said, “My daughter, Anmol, showed me the Reels and said, ‘Papa your song has gone viral.’ This project is very close to my heart because it featured Shah Rukh.” Revealing the process behind making the song, the singer explained, “When I was finally getting my reward working on the music for the movie, I must’ve hummed numerous tunes to Sivan saab (director Santosh Sivan) and he rejected them. He was very clear that this music has to be something very different.”

Anu Malik further shared, “This was one of the movies where I put in my most hard work in the music. And I feel like I am. Having SRK and Bebo acted as a big boost of inspiration and having them in the song was like sone pe suhaaga.”

The singer further explains why he believes this song connects with today’s audience, as many are discovering it for the first time. He shared that the song has a breezy tune that matches various modern activities, such as people walking the red carpet in elegant gowns or doing their makeup. Malik feels happy that the melody, lyrics, and overall song have been loved by people. He is particularly pleased that today’s youth, aged between 21 and 25, are appreciating the song’s quality.

San Sanana, originally sung by Alka Yagnik, was featured in the hit period drama Asoka, picturized on Kareena Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan. The movie explores the life of the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka the Great. In the film, Kapoor wore dark eyeliner and had patterns on her face and body, representing the traditional ancient Indian makeup. This unique feature has been loved by international audiences.