"Chaleya" is an Indian

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

-language song, composed by

Anirudh Ravichander Anirudh Ravichander (born 16 October 1990), also credited mononymously as Anirudh, is an Indian composer and playback singer who works primarily in Tamil cinema, in addition to Telugu and Hindi films. He has won two Filmfare Awards South, ten ...

with lyrics written by

Kumaar Rakesh Kumar Pal, known mononymously as Kumaar, is an Indian lyricist who works in Hindi cinema. Some of his songs include "Rula Ke Gaya Ishq", " Tu Bhi Royega", "Dil Ki Aadat", " Baby Doll', " Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan", " Sooraj Dooba Hain", "Lo ...

and sung by

Arijit Singh Arijit Singh (; born 25 April 1987) is an Indian playback singer. A leading figure in contemporary Hindi film music, he is the recipient of several accolades including two National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards. He was conferred the P ...

and

Shilpa Rao Shilpa Rao (born Apeksha Rao; 11 April 1984) is an Indian singer who primarily records songs in Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Tamil language, Tamil languages. During her college days, composer Mithoon offered her to record the song "Javeda ...

, for the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...

of the 2023 Indian film '' Jawan''. It was released on 14 August 2023 as the second single from the album, through T-Series. The song was also released in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

as "Hayyoda" and in

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

as "Chalona". Later, the song was dubbed and released in Arabic version. Upon release, the song received positive reviews by audience and critics. The hook step in the film, performed by the lead actor

Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...

became widely popular and a pop-cultural phenomenon. The track also topped the national charts, in all music and video platforms. "Chaleya" experienced large amounts of commercial success. The song debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' India Songs and on ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart. Khan revealed the song as "his favourite from the album".

Composition

composed the song after he recording "Zinda Banda". Recording took place in March 2023.

recorded the song in 20 minutes at Albuquerque Records,

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

after a

jam session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without ...

with Anirudh. Rao revealed that

's manager Pooja Dadlani approached her to sing this track. Khan's frequent collaborator

also recorded the song.

worked on the lyrics for the Hindi version. Anirudh himself sang the Tamil version, titled "Hayyoda" along with Priya Mali with lyrics by Vivek. The Telugu version "Chalona" was sung by Adithya RK and Priya Mali with the lyrics penned by Chandrabose. The song is Khan's first romantic track from a film after four years. Khan described it as romantic, sweet, and gentle.

Music video

The music video featuring

and

Nayanthara Nayanthara (born Diana Mariam Kurian; 18 November 1984) is an Indian actress and producer known for her work in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu and Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she ...

, was shot across

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

and

Bandra–Worli Sea Link The Bandra–Worli Sea Link (officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link) is a 5.6 km long, 8-lane wide cable-stayed bridge that links Bandra in the Western Suburbs (Mumbai), Western Suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in South Mumbai. It is the second ...

in April 2023. It was choreographed by

Farah Khan Farah Khan Kunder (; born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, writer, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, winning th ...

Marketing and release

The teaser of the track was released on 13 August. The second single "Chaleya" was released on 14 August 2023. The Arabic version of the song was released at an event held at the

Burj Khalifa The Burj Khalifa (known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but inc ...

on 31 August 2023.

Critical reception

Meera Venugopal of ''

Radio Mirchi Radio Mirchi ("''Mirchi"'' in Hindi meaning red chilli), also known as 98.3 Mirchi, is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the ENIL, EntertainmentNetwork India Ltd (ENIL), which is one of the subsidiarie ...

'' wrote "Breaking the high-tempo momentum is 'Chaleya', a love ballad that takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. Arijit Singh and Shilpa Rao's voices shine here, touching the high and low notes with magic. The lyrics are all about love and enchantment, making it the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening." Trisha Bhattacharya of ''

India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...

'' wrote "Taking a break from the high-momentum vibe, 'Chaleya' is a perfect song for an enchanting evening." Analysing the song, '' ETV Bharat'' wrote "melody carries the enchanting vocals of Arijit Singh and Shilpa Rao, a perfect harmony that tugs at heartstrings. The choreography, deftly handled by the renowned Farah Khan, adds an extra layer of appeal to the song's visual allure. Penned by Kumaar, the lyrics embody the essence of romance, encapsulating the chemistry between SRK and Nayanthara. Soumyabrata Gupta of ''

Times Now Times Now is an English-language news channel in India owned and operated by The Times Group. The channel launched on 23 January 2006 in partnership with Reuters. It is a pay television throughout India. Until 2016, it was India's most popula ...

'' vocalists and wrote "crafted by the musical virtuoso Anirudh, Chaleya showcases the emotive crooning talents of Arijit Singh and Shilpa Rao. The track revives the enduring enchantment of the partnership between Shah Rukh Khan and Arijit Singh, a duo celebrated for delivering some of the most profound and amorous melodies." Praising the choreography, Saikat Chakraborty of ''

The Telegraph India ''The Telegraph'' is an Indian English daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 7 July 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and competes with the Middle-market newspaper ''The Times of India''. The newspaper is th ...

'' stated, "choreographed by Farah Khan, Chaleya is a combination of Shah Rukh’s signature style and Nayanthata’s grace and elegance as both of them groove to the tune in vibrant clothes. The dance is a mix of salsa and Bollywood freestyle, capturing the romantic lyrics penned by Kumaar." Sukanya Saha of '' English Jagran'' praised the chemistry of lead pair.

Impact

Within 24 hours of its release, the song crossed over 35 million views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

, becoming one of the most-viewed Indian song. Upon its release, the song started trending on internet. The song received positive reception from audiences, praising the music. The hook step performed by

, went viral on social media. It became the most-streamed song on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

in a single day, as it was played over 2.4 million times on 13 September 2023. After few weeks of its release, the song trended 18th position on Spotify Global Daily chart, highest for an Indian song. In October 2023, it emerged as the most streamed track on Spotify. "Chaleya" was the most played song on Navtarang radio in the year 2023. The song was the top track of 2023 in India on

Amazon Music Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and digital music store operated by Amazon. As of January 2020, the service had 55 million subscribers. It was the first music store to sell music without digital rights manag ...

. Dutch singer

Emma Heesters Emma Heesters (born 8 January 1996) (pronunciation: emā hīsṭars) is a Dutch singer and television personality, mainly known for performing covers of popular songs on her own YouTube channel. She began her music career in 2014 and as of Augus ...

performed a cover of the song which was released on 30 September 2023, with lyrics translated to English. Likewise, there were many cover versions created and released by various artistes including the languages the song is not originally produced. South Korean singer

Kim Woo-jin Kim Woojin (; born April 8, 1997) is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a former member of the boy group Stray Kids, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2017. After leaving the group in late 2019, Kim debuted as a soloist in 2021 with the rele ...

said that he love the song a lot.

Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the re ...

revealed "Chaleya" as one of his favourite track.

Virat Kohli Virat Kohli (born 5 November 1988) is an Indian Cricket, international cricketer who plays One Day International, ODI cricket for the India national cricket team, national team and is a former Captain (cricket), captain in all formats. He is a ...

performed the dance step during an ongoing match in

2023 Cricket World Cup The 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup was the 13th edition of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was hosted from 5 October to 19 ...

, after scoring his 49th ODI century.

, South Korean boy band

Ampers&One Ampers&One (; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed and managed by FNC Entertainment. The group consists of seven members: Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Kyrell, Mackiah, and Seungmo. They debuted on November 15, 2023, with the si ...

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

Hania Aamir Hania Aamir (born 12 February 1997) is a Pakistani actress and influencer who works in Urdu television and films. She began her acting career with the comedy film ''Janaan'' (2016) and made her television debut with '' Titli'' (2017) with later ...

, V,

Soumitrisha Kundu Soumitrisha Kundu (born 24 February 2002), also known by the initialism STK, is an Indian actress who works in Bengali film and television industry. Noted for her acting skills and good looks in the media, she is widely regarded as one of the mo ...

Jimin Park Ji-min (; born October 13, 1995), known mononymously as Jimin, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and dancer. In 2013, he made his debut as a member of the South Korean boy band BTS, under the record label Big Hit Entertainment. Jim ...

J-Hope Jung Ho-seok (; born February 18, 1994), known professionally as J-Hope (; stylized in lower case), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 2013, ...

, Sara Tendulkar, Alaya F,

Shwetha Srivatsav Shwetha Srivatsav is an Indian actress, known for her work in Kannada cinema and television. She began her career in theatre, before moving to television, where she received recognition for her role in T. N. Seetharam's ''Manvantara''. She su ...

, and several others have recreated the hook-step.

Live performances

Anirudh has performed the song during the success event of the film in

has performed the song during the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

–

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

match at

Narendra Modi Stadium Narendra Modi Stadium is a cricket ground in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. With a total capacity of 132,000, it is the List of stadiums by capacity, world's largest stadium. It is owned by the Gujarat Cricket Association, and hosts both domestic ...

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

. He has performed the song at a concert in

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

, in March 2024.

has performed the song at a concert in

Mysore Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...

, in October 2023.

Credits and personnel

composer, programmer, keyboard *

lyricist *

vocal *

Choreographer * Vinay Sridhar mix engineer * Srinivasan M mix engineer * Luca Pretolesi mastering engineer * Velavan B music cordinator * Shashank Vijay rhythm * Harish Ram L H music editor

Chart performance

Accolades

Notes

References

External links

* {{Arijit Singh 2023 songs Songs written for Hindi-language films Songs in Hindi Songs with music by Anirudh Ravichander Arijit Singh songs Shilpa Rao songs Songs with lyrics by Kumaar Songs with lyrics by Chandrabose (lyricist) T-Series (company) singles Songs from Jawan (film) Number-one singles in India Indian songs Filmi songs