Zayn Malik's cover of Teri Deewani: Kailash Kher takes a subtle dig at former One Direction singer's attempt

When you mention Kailash Kher and Zayn Malik in the same sentence, they somehow never seemed to fit together – until a week ago when the 25-year-old ex-member of the popular boy band One Direction posted a stripped-down rendition of Kailash's 2006 superhit track 'Teri Deewani'.

And of course – like most things Zayn does – this managed to split the internet between struggling to decide if they were digging it or should they be slamming it. While mixed reviews arrived Zayn's way, there was one particular review of his rendition that probably should have the most significance – and that is from the 'Teri Deewani' hitmaker himself.

Kailash expressed his wish to "jam together" with the former boyband member but only on one condition, as was shared by IANS. "If Zayn is a real fan of Kailasa (Kailash's band), we have our digital academy coming up. There will be a course dedicated to all our compositions, including 'Teri Deewani' and all our superhits.

"To know the correct codes and nuances, he can join (the academy) and enroll himself. It will help him to improve his skills. Then we can jam together in future,"

Zayn – who has been overly indulgent about showcasing his interest in Bollywood music in the recent past – was probably paying a tribute to the maestro who has given us phenomenal hits like Saiyyan, Allah ke Bande, Ya Rabba and many more.

And despite Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor finding his version "beautiful", looks like Kailash is more inclined towards the opinion of the critics that didn't shy away from slamming Zayn's attempt.

"To know the correct codes and nuances, he can join (the academy) and enrol himself. It will help him to improve his skills. Then we can jam together in future," added Kailash.

At the same time, Kailash also feels "nice and honoured when your writing and compositions inspire millions globally".

And as for Zayn, he followed that video up with a personal take on Kailash's 2003 hit Allah Ke Bande – the first song that had turned Kailash into a popular favourite overnight.

But while he's still in line to jam with Kailash, he shared earlier this month "I have worked with A.R. Rahman on one song."