Little Known Facts about Gulshan Kumar Indian music and film producer

Gulshan Kumar Dua was an Indian music and film producer. In the year 1983, he founded the T-Series music label which turned out to emerge as one of India’s largest music companies by the 1990s. He was a key figure in the Indian music industry, and following his passing away, his company was taken over by his son, Bhushan Kumar, and his brother, Krishan Kumar.

Interestingly, Gulshan Kumar, lyricists Anjaan Sameer and Music composer duo Anand-Milind took inspiration from a Bhojpuri folk tune and turned it into a 90s Bollywood anthem
It was a casual evening at Gulshan Kumar’s home when destiny decided to catalyze the most iconic Bollywood songs of the 1990s. The founder of T-Series, acknowledge for his sharp musical instinct, had invited lyricists Sameer Anjaan over. What began as an informal meeting soon turned into a creative session that would give Hindi cinema one of its most memorable dance numbers, ‘Aankhiyon Se Goli Maare’ from the film Dulhe Raja. (

According to lyricist Sameer, Gulshan Kumar had called him to his Mumbai home one evening and.asked him to sit in a corner of his bedroom.Then he quietly sang a folk tune – ‘Jab se sipahi se bhaile havaldar, nathuniya se goli maare saiyan humaar…’ It was a Bhojpuri folk song he had heard amidst his travels in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He looked at him and said, ‘Make something magical out of this’.That one line was enough. Sameer teamed up with music directors Anand-Milind, and together they reimagined the rustic folk tune into a peppy romantic number. They worked through the night. The moment they found the hook line ‘Aankhiyon Se Goli Maare’, they knew it was a winner.”
Originally, the song was meant to be sung by Altaf Raja, whose track “Tum Toh Thehre Pardesi” had become a nationwide hit. But when Raja’s secretary demanded Rs 1 lakh for the recording, the team turned to Sonu Nigam. “Sonu sang it beautifully,” Sameer recounted, “Later, Altaf was very remorseful when he found out what he’d missed.”
When Dulhe Raja hit cinema houses on July 10, 1998, it emerged as one of the biggest comedy hits of the decade. The film featured Govinda, Raveena Tandon, Kader Khan, Johnny Lever, and Asrani. The film went on to gross over Rs 22 crore on a modest
Rs 5 crore budget. Its music, composed by Anand-Milind and penned by Sameer, was instrumental in the film’s success. Of the seven tracks recorded, five made it to the final cut, and all turned out to be chartbusters.
But “Aankhiyon Se Goli Maare” stood apart. The song’s infectious rhythm and Govinda’s effortless dance moves made it an anthem at weddings and parties across the country. Once in an interview Raveena Tandon admitted she had worked with many stars, but no one could match Govinda’s energy. If there’s one song that defines their pairing, it’s Aankhiyon Se Goli Maare.”
Interestingly, the success of the song inspired director Harmesh Malhotra to later make a separate film titled Aankhiyon Se Goli Maare with the same lead pair, though it failed to replicate the success of Dulhe Raja.

As for Gulshan Kumar, his musical foresight once again proved prophetic. His knack for spotting melodies, even in local folk songs, helped bridge India’s regional and mainstream music. In transforming a Bhojpuri tune into a Bollywood sensation, he not only created a song for the ages but also reaffirmed T-Series’ reputation as the pulse of popular music in the 90s.
And decades later, whenever that familiar hook line plays, it still makes listeners smile – a reminder of a time when melody, instinct, and creative passion ruled Bollywood.

News Edit KV Raman