Akon Sang Hindi, Snoop Dogg Rapped With Akshay! Bollywood’s Unforgettable International Collaborations
From Akon’s ‘Chammak Challo’ to Kylie Minogue’s ‘Chiggy Wiggy’, revisit the international voices behind Bollywood’s memorable songs and surprising musical collaborations.
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Sometimes, a Bollywood song comes with a voice you were not expecting. The actor on screen is familiar, the dance floor is unmistakably filmi, and then an international pop star takes over the chorus. Over the years, Hindi cinema has welcomed American rappers, an Australian pop icon, a Portuguese fado singer and musicians who found their way into playback singing from Britain and Canada. Some learnt Hindi; others brought English verses or an entirely different musical tradition. The results ranged from spectacular star cameos to quieter collaborations whose singers deserved a closer look at the credits.
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Akon and Kylie Minogue may be the obvious starting points, but this playlist has considerably more surprises in store.
1. Akon - ‘Chammak Challo’ And ‘Criminal’ (Ra.One)
Songs released: 2011 | Soundtrack release: September 12, 2011 | Film director: Anubhav Sinha
For a generation of listeners, ‘Chammak Challo’ is the answer to a very specific question: what happens when Akon sings Hindi while Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor do the dancing? The Senegalese-American star shared the track with Hamsika Iyer, whose contribution included its Tamil passage, on Vishal-Shekhar’s ‘Ra.One’ soundtrack. The song’s writing credits include Vishal Dadlani and Niranjan Iyengar. Akon also sang ‘Criminal’ with Vishal Dadlani and Shruti Pathak, giving the superhero film two collaborations rather than a single celebrity appearance on the album.
The surprising part was how readily he approached the unfamiliar language. Shekhar Ravjiani recalled that Akon became excited when told he would be singing in Hindi and picked up the lines in roughly three to four hours. There is something wonderfully unselfconscious about the finished result: his recognisable voice remains intact, but he commits to the Bollywood hook instead of hovering around it with an English guest verse.
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2. Kylie Minogue - ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ (Blue)
Song released: 2009 | Soundtrack release: September 10, 2009 | Film director: Anthony D’Souza
Before ‘Chammak Challo’, there was Kylie Minogue inviting Akshay Kumar to ‘Chiggy Wiggy’. The Australian pop star both sang and appeared in the number from ‘Blue’, an underwater adventure starring Akshay, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta and Zayed Khan. AR Rahman composed the track, Abbas Tyrewala wrote its lyrics, and Sonu Nigam joined Kylie on vocals, with additional vocals by Suzanne D’Mello. Farah Khan choreographed the number. Kylie’s English pop delivery and Sonu’s Hindi section give it two distinct personalities, with Akshay connecting them on screen.
For Kylie, the collaboration remained a fond memory long after the film’s release. In a 2021 interview, she explained that she trusted AR Rahman and felt they had found a balance between a Bollywood song and a Kylie song. She also remembered dance rehearsals with Farah and lunch at Akshay’s home during her first trip to India.
3. Snoop Dogg - ‘Singh Is Kinng’ (Singh Is Kinng)
Song released: 2008 | Film director: Anees Bazmee
Snoop Dogg rapping beside Akshay Kumar in a turban sounds like somebody’s elaborate music-video pitch. In 2008, it became an actual Bollywood collaboration. The American rapper contributed to the title track of ‘Singh Is Kinng’, working with British bhangra group RDB and Akshay, who also received a vocal credit. The track’s hip-hop-and-bhangra combination belonged to RDB’s collaboration with Snoop; it should not be confused with Pritam’s other compositions for the film.
The video put Snoop and Akshay together in an extravagantly styled celebration, complete with Snoop’s turban and royal lounging. Shot in Chicago, it turned an international rap feature into a visual event as well. The film starred Akshay and Katrina Kaif alongside Sonu Sood, Om Puri and others, but the title number had its own selling point: hearing Snoop’s unmistakable delivery settle into a chorus built around a Punjabi identity.
4. Tata Young - ‘Dhoom Dhoom’ (Dhoom)
Song released: 2004 | Film director: Sanjay Gadhvi
The first ‘Dhoom’ did not limit its anthem to one voice or one language. Sunidhi Chauhan sang ‘Dhoom Machale’, while Thai-American pop singer Tata Young recorded the English adaptation, ‘Dhoom Dhoom’. Pritam composed the music, and Asif Ali Beg wrote the English lyrics. Tata also starred in the separate video with the film’s three male leads, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Uday Chopra. Arjun Sablok directed that video, while Sanjay Gadhvi directed the film, whose cast also included Esha Deol and Rimi Sen.
The distinction matters because Tata’s version had a life of its own alongside the Hindi original. It retained the instantly recognisable ‘Dhoom’ identity while turning the track into an English-language pop performance. Yash Raj Films’ official music page identifies both versions and credits Tata’s recording as a successful part of the film’s musical footprint. Before later collaborations brought international names into Bollywood soundtracks, she had already helped give a fledgling franchise an anthem audiences could recognise in more than one form.
5. Arash - ‘Bure Bure / Boro Boro’ (Bluffmaster)
Bollywood version released: 2005 | Original ‘Boro Boro’: 2004 | Film director: Rohan Sippy
You did not need to understand every word of ‘Boro Boro’ to recognise its hook. Iranian-Swedish singer Arash’s 2004 single reached the ‘Bluffmaster!’ soundtrack in 2005 as ‘Bure Bure / Boro Boro’, combining the original’s Persian identity with Hindi lines. Arash and Robert Uhlmann wrote and produced the track, with Hindi lyrics credited to Jaideep Sahni. The song became associated with Rohan Sippy’s con comedy starring Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Riteish Deshmukh, with Nana Patekar and Boman Irani in important roles.
This was an existing international song finding a Bollywood home, rather than a foreign singer recording an entirely new Hindi number. In a 2025 interview marking the film’s twentieth anniversary, Rohan Sippy explained that a friend working at Virgin EMI introduced him to artists including Arash and Aneela Mirza. Arash was a Bachchan admirer, which made the Abhishek connection particularly appealing. The resulting soundtrack suited the film’s personality: mischievous, cosmopolitan and happy to pull music from unexpected places.
6. Aneela Mirza - ‘Say Na Say Na’ (Bluffmaster)
Song released: 2005 | Film director: Rohan Sippy
‘Bluffmaster!’ had another overseas voice hiding in plain sight. Aneela Mirza, the Scandinavia-based singer associated with Danish pop group Toy-Box, supplied the distinctive female vocal on ‘Say Na Say Na’. The recording’s creative credits connect Aneela with Arash, Robert Uhlmann and producer Johan Bejerholm, with additional lyrics by Jaideep Sahni and additional production by Sameeruddin. On screen, the number is associated with Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra, giving their film a very different musical flavour from a conventional romantic duet.
Her voice is one of the reasons the song is so immediately identifiable. There is a clipped, playful quality to the delivery that matches its bhangra pulse without making it sound interchangeable with the rest of the album. Rohan Sippy’s later account of bringing international artists into the project helps explain why ‘Bluffmaster!’ sounded so eclectic. Arash and Aneela were part of that deliberate soundtrack approach, and listeners got songs that felt as cheeky as the film’s confidence tricksters.
7. Dwayne Bravo - ‘Jaeger Bomb’ (Tum Bin 2)
Audio released: October 20, 2016 | Film director: Anubhav Sinha
Dwayne Bravo had already shown that a cricketer could get people dancing with ‘Champion’. His Bollywood turn came through ‘Jaeger Bomb’ on the ‘Tum Bin 2’ soundtrack. Credited as DJ Bravo, the Trinidadian cricketer and performer shared vocals with composer Ankit Tiwari and Britain-born singer Harshi Mad. Manoj Muntashir and Raool received lyric credits. The collaboration brought a party number into Anubhav Sinha’s romantic drama starring Neha Sharma, Aditya Seal and Aashim Gulati.
Bravo also appeared in the video, so audiences did not have to guess whether the cricket star was really involved. Neha recalled that the shoot was completed in a day and described the atmosphere as relaxed and largely impromptu. That easy-going energy is the point of the number: a film built around heartbreak briefly makes room for a performer whose sporting celebrations and musical persona already belonged on a dance floor.
8. Cuca Roseta - ‘Yaadon Mein’ (Jab Harry Met Sejal)
Audio released: August 3, 2017 | Official song video: August 23, 2017 | Film director: Imtiaz Ali
The international contribution to ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’ was not confined to its electronic party music. Portuguese fado singer Cuca Roseta joined Jonita Gandhi and Mohammed Irfan on ‘Yaadon Mein’, a more reflective composition by Pritam. Irshad Kamil wrote the Hindi lyrics, while Roseta herself received the Portuguese lyric credit. Mario Pacheco performed and arranged the Portuguese guitar. Sony Music’s official video connects the song with Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma’s romance, giving the film’s European setting a musical expression beyond postcard scenery.
Roseta’s contribution is worth seeking out precisely because it does not announce itself with the swagger of a celebrity rap cameo. Her voice and the Portuguese guitar lend the track a sense of yearning, fitting a film about travel, separation and an attachment neither character quite knows how to explain. The credits also show how substantial her involvement was: she contributed the Portuguese words as well as the vocals.
9. Lisbeth Scott - ‘Lahore Theme’ (Lahore)
Theme released: 2010 | Film director: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan
An international vocalist does not always enter a Hindi film through a dance number. American singer Lisbeth Scott contributed to Wayne Sharpe’s ‘Lahore Theme’, part of the music for Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan’s 2010 sports drama. Her contribution was a vocal theme and alaap rather than a conventional Hindi playback song. The film, released on March 19, 2010, featured Aanaahad, Shraddha Das, Farooque Shaikh, Nafisa Ali and Sushant Singh, with kickboxing and India-Pakistan relations forming its backdrop.
Chauhan said he had been struck by Scott’s voice in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Munich’ and wanted to work with her when he made a film. Scott, in turn, described becoming absorbed in ‘Lahore’ after Sharpe showed her a fight sequence during their recording sessions in New York. That makes this a particularly interesting entry: a voice familiar from major Hollywood soundtracks became part of a Hindi film’s emotional atmosphere.
10. Natalie Di Luccio - ‘Ready Steady Po’ (Chennai Express)
Song released: July 2013 | Film director: Rohit Shetty
Canadian singer Natalie Di Luccio’s contribution to ‘Chennai Express’ came through ‘Ready Steady Po’, the brisk, swaggering track on Vishal-Shekhar’s soundtrack. She shared its vocal credits with Vishal Dadlani, Brodha V, Smokey and Enkore. The writing credits include Amitabh Bhattacharya and the three rappers. Attached to Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s comic adventure, the recording is another example of a Bollywood ensemble track bringing together voices from markedly different musical backgrounds.
Di Luccio had trained in Western classical music from childhood and studied vocal performance in opera. Her Bollywood covers on YouTube helped introduce her to Indian audiences before her film work expanded. In an interview, she described Vishal and Shekhar as friends and producers she enjoyed working with, specifically recalling ‘Ready Steady Po’. She also sang on ‘Navrai Majhi’ in ‘English Vinglish’, although that wedding song is Marathi.
11. Ash King - ‘Dil Gira Dafatan’ (Delhi-6)
Soundtrack released: January 14, 2009 | Film director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
British singer Ash King entered Hindi film playback with ‘Dil Gira Dafatan’ from ‘Delhi-6’. AR Rahman composed the song, Prasoon Joshi wrote its lyrics, and Chinmayi Sripada also contributed vocals. Associated with Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor’s film, the track made space for Ash’s soulful delivery in a soundtrack full of contrasting sounds. His later Hindi work included ‘Te Amo’ from ‘Dum Maaro Dum’, ‘I Love You’ from ‘Bodyguard’ and ‘Meherbaan’ from ‘Bang Bang!’.
The beginning was considerably less assured than the finished song suggests. In a 2025 interview, Ash King recalled moving from informal home recordings to a professional session with AR Rahman and feeling so intimidated that he offered to reimburse his flight ticket and return to London. He credited AR Rahman with giving him an entire career rather than simply a first assignment. It is a lovely detail behind an accomplished debut: the singer who sounded at home in the recording initially wondered whether he belonged in the studio at all.
12. Zack Knight And Jasmin Walia - ‘Bom Diggy Diggy’ (Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety)
Bollywood version released: February 8, 2018 | Original ‘Bom Diggy’: August 24, 2017 | Film director: Luv Ranjan
British singers Zack Knight and Jasmin Walia brought an existing independent hit into Hindi cinema when ‘Bom Diggy’ became ‘Bom Diggy Diggy’ for ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’. Both sang the film version; Zack composed it and shared lyric credits with Kumaar, while Aditya Dev produced the recording. Its video featured Kartik Aaryan and Sunny Singh at a house party. The film also starred Nushrratt Bharuccha, but the song’s central visual pairing was the two men whose friendship drives the story.
The film version did not invent the song’s appeal; it gave an already catchy recording a new setting and audience. Zack also had an earlier, clearly credited Bollywood connection: he sang and helped create the official ‘Ishq Mubarak Refix’ with Arijit Singh for ‘Tum Bin 2’, released on November 11, 2016. There, his English contribution sat alongside Arijit’s Hindi vocal. Together, these recordings show two different routes into film music: adapting an independent single and reworking an existing soundtrack song.
Bonus: Ludacris - ‘Shera Di Kaum’ (Speedy Singhs)
Official video released: August 19, 2011 | Soundtrack release: August 30, 2011 | Film director: Robert Lieberman
Ludacris’s collaboration deserves a place beside this playlist, with one important distinction: ‘Speedy Singhs’ was the Indian release title of the Indo-Canadian film ‘Breakaway’, originally made in English and dubbed into Hindi. The American rapper joined RDB on ‘Shera Di Kaum’, supplying English rap to a Punjabi-led number. The official promotional video featured Akshay Kumar alongside Ludacris and RDB, linking the international collaboration to the film Akshay helped produce. The movie starred Vinay Virmani, Camilla Belle, Anupam Kher, Russell Peters and Rob Lowe.
That makes it a Bollywood-connected collaboration rather than an original Hindi-film playback assignment. It still captures the appeal of this entire musical exchange: voices and performers from different industries finding a shared rhythm. The Punjabi chorus carries the identity of the song, while Ludacris’s rap adds another texture.
Some of these collaborations arrived with enormous fanfare; others were waiting quietly in the credits. Either way, the next time one of these familiar hooks plays, it is worth remembering how far its voice travelled to reach a Bollywood soundtrack.
