है जवानी तो इश्क़ होना है (टाइटल ट्रैक)

The title track of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai (2026) is a multi-vocalist dance anthem featuring Shankar Mahadevan, Hema Sardesai, RANJ and Earl Edgar, composed by Javed-Mohsin with lyrics by Sameer Anjaan and Mohsin Shaikh, incorporating a sample from 'Ishq Sona Hai' — the Anu Malik-composed song from Biwi No.1 (1999). Teased on 12 April 2026, it invokes the film's own lineage and David Dhawan's legacy while announcing itself as a crowd-pleasing anthem. The casting of Shankar Mahadevan — whose voice is synonymous with Bollywood's post-2000 party anthems — signals the song's aspirations to a particular kind of euphoria.

Javed-Mohsin's title track composition samples 'Ishq Sona Hai' from Biwi No.1 (1999, Anu Malik), creating a direct musical lineage between the two David Dhawan productions. The arrangement builds around electronic beats and a brass-synth driven hook. Shankar Mahadevan's particular vocal power — he can fill large sonic spaces — makes him the ideal choice for the song's declarative, anthem-like chorus. Hema Sardesai, who appears in several of Mahadevan's musical collaborations, brings warmth to the female counterpart.

Sameer Anjaan's lyrics for the title track are in the philosophical-playful mode he does best: 'Hai jawani toh ishq hona hai' is not a question but an axiom — youth necessitates love. The wordplay on inevitability mirrors the film's rom-com logic.

The title track was teased on 12 April 2026, nearly two months before the film's release — an unusual move signalling the production's confidence in the song as a marketing anchor. Shankar Mahadevan's involvement brought immediate credibility; he and Javed-Mohsin had previously worked together. The sample from 'Ishq Sona Hai' required Tips Music's rights — which they had just secured through the Supreme Court ruling — making the release legally and commercially timed.

As the title song of a commercially successful 2026 release, this track will be the first thing people associate with the film when they recall it. Shankar Mahadevan's voice gives it a built-in recall that few party anthems achieve. Its sample of a beloved 1999 song adds a generational resonance.