Indian music producer Yashraj Mukhate has once again taken social media by storm—this time with a quirky remix of Pakistani pop singer Annie Khalid’s iconic 2006 hit Mahiya. The video, which pairs the nostalgic track with a humorous viral interview clip, has amassed over 12 million views and 850,000 likes on Instagram, quickly becoming a cross-border internet sensation.
The viral remix features a South Asian man bluntly telling an interviewer, “Rishtedar wala jo lafz hai na, woh jahan bhi aajaye, pasand hi nahi” (“The word ‘relatives,’ wherever it comes up, I just don’t like it”). Mukhate cleverly loops the line over Khalid’s Mahiya, blending it with playful lyrics like: “Meri bua ki bhabi ke beti ki shaadi mein kyun jaon, mahiya, ke hoon mein pareshaan, mahiya.”
The track has received enthusiastic praise from celebrities on both sides of the border. Pakistani actors Mawra Hocane, Zoya Nasir, Omair Rana, and Indian choreographer Farah Khan Kunder lauded the remix. Annie Khalid herself responded with laughing emojis and an “Oh yeah, yeah!”, to which Mukhate replied by calling her “The OG.”
Known for transforming memes and viral moments into catchy musical content, Yashraj Mukhate rose to fame with mashups like Rasode Mein Kaun Tha? and the viral Pawri Ho Rahi Hai, the latter based on a video by Pakistani influencer Dananeer Mobeen.
Originally released in 2006 on Annie Khalid’s debut album Princess, Mahiya became an instant pop classic. Its catchy melody and romantic lyrics helped the song achieve widespread popularity across Pakistan and South Asia. The track was later re-recorded by Suzanne D’Mello for the 2007 Bollywood film Awarapan, but Khalid’s original version remains a fan favorite and a defining anthem of 2000s Pakistani pop.
Beyond its success, Mahiya played a pivotal role in shaping the modern female pop identity in Pakistan, paving the way for other women artists in the country’s music industry.
