David Dhawan says Wajid Khan was like his child, Salim Merchant reveals composer’s health deteriorated after Dabangg 3 – bollywood

A day after musician Wajid Khan died following a cardiac arrest and complications from Covid-19, filmmaker David Dhawan and musician Salim Merchant have opened up about working with the late music composer and the bond they shared with him. While David called him his “child” while Salim said “we were close as brothers”.

David revealed that his son and actor Varun Dhawan informed him of Wajid’s death at 2am and he could not sleep the whole night. “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,” David told Mid Day.

“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,” he added. David and Wajid worked together on five films – Partner, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Chashme Baddoor, Judwaa 2 and Main Tera Hero.

Also read: Atul Agnihotri on Wajid Khan: ‘His love for our family, particularly Salman Khan, was unconditional’

Revealing the details of Wajid’s health, musician Salim Merchant told the tabloid in a separate chat, “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 (I am fine, no problem at all)’.”

Revealing that Wajid suffered from kidney infection last month and had been on a ventilator for three days before he died, Salim further said, “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.”

Wajid died late Sunday after a cardiac arrest. He had also been diagnosed with coronavirus. His mother, Razina, who had attended on him in the hospital, has now tested positive for the novel virus.

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