Salim Merchant reveals Wajid Khan's health deteriorated after Dabangg 3, David Dhawan remembers the composer
Bollywood singer-composer Wajid Khan passed away in the wee hours on Monday at the Suvarna Hospital, Chembur. His untimely death left Bollywood celebrities in shock and many took to social media to express grief. It is said that the composer died due to heart attack and traces of coronavirus were also found in his body. Another singer-composer Salim Merchant opened up about working with Wajid and revealed that his health deteriorated after the release of Salman Khan's film Dabangg 3 in December. He had given the music of the film along with his brother Sajid Khan.
Salim told Mid-Day, "We knew that he was not well for the past few days, but the situation hadn’t reached the stage for him to pass away. Yes, he was critical but still better. He had issues of diabetes and kidney malfunction. Fortunately, Sajid’s wife Lubna donated a kidney to him seven months ago. He was on the road to recovery after that, but I believe post Dabangg 3, his health started deteriorating due to exertion. Once the complications began, it never left him. We were constantly in touch, but he would often say, ‘Main theek hoon, koi problem nahin hai."
He added, "We were close as brothers, friends and we have also worked together for a film, Shararat (2002). I remember [the time] he had come to my studio to hear the song, Yeh honsla from Dor (2006). He had tears in his eyes as he hugged me, he was an emotional person."
On the other hand, filmmaker David Dhawan revealed that he couldn't sleep in the night when son Varun Dhawan informed that Wajid Khan is no more. He said, "I was close to Wajid and I cannot describe how I am feeling today. Wajid was like a child for me. My relationship with him was indescribable. He would come home, jam with us, and have dinner with the family. Salman [Khan], who was instrumental in giving them a break in Bollywood, Sajid-Wajid and I did lot of work together. All the best songs of Salman and Varun are by him."
He added, "He loved Varun and gave him such great songs in Main Tera Hero and Judwaa 2, which was difficult to compose. Wajid was like family to us. He was a musician who played the guitar from the heart. I was discussing Wajid’s music with Salman, who was shattered [on hearing the news], yesterday. Sadly, none of us could go to the funeral. We can mourn only from home."
Wajid Khan was cremated at the Versova cemetery in the presence of a few loved ones including brother Sajid and actor Aditya Pancholi on Monday.
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