The saga of the raga took quite a different turn when the classic tracks of Hindi cinema, from Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya in Mughal-e-Azam to Dum Maro Dum in Hare Rama Hare Krishna were remixed. When Neeraj Sreedhar sang his version of the Padosan ditty Main Chali Chali Dekho Pyar Ki Gali, Lata Mangeshkar, who rendered the original, couldn’t recognise the song! While Alka Yagnik and Rekha Bhardwaj are among the singers who feel remixes destroy the “purity” of the original numbers, other prominent musicians feel that it depends on the way it has been remixed. Read on to find out what those in the B’wood music industry think:
Amit Kumar
From the time remixes and cover versions became popular, I said to myself, “The downfall of Hindi film music has begun”. Whether it is a renewal of the original’s shelf life or a sign of desecration, I don’t know. All I know is, Hindi film music is finished.
Nishat Khan
Remixes are a sign of creative laziness. They very rarely renew the shelf life of the original song. It’s just a momentary pseudo-creative self-indulgent exercise.
Alisha Chinai
Remixes of classics have instant recall value. It all depends on who’s doing the remix. If it’s Pitbull, it’s a mega-hit.
Prasoon Joshi
Recreating a song thoughtfully is a good approach. It is when a remix is used as a formula with no craft visible, only the naked and desperate need to attract instant attention, that it dilutes the intrinsic merits of the original song. Classics must be handled with care, and not casually.
Shamir Tandon
There have been instances when an old song has been recorded well and presented with pleasant visuals. Such songs have been well accepted. But most of the time remixes do a bad job of the original. They just sabotage an old song.
Shekhar Ravjiani
Remixes can be seen as homage to a great composition. But to say a remix will extend the shelf life of, say Lag Jaa Gale Se, is balderdash. At the same time, doing a remix is not easy. There is substantial pressure on the musician to make sure it comes out right. There’s the anxiety if people would accept the new treatment of a classic song. There’s that constant self-questioning, “Are we doing justice to a classic?”
Shaan
If done keeping the contemporary sounds and musicality in mind and without losing the emotional quotient of the original song, a remix could increase and renew the shelf life of a classic melody.
Adnan Sami
Remixes are nice when done with an ear for nostalgia. But sometimes they are just attempts to cash in on iconic songs. I wouldn’t want to do a remix of a Bahon Mein Chale Aao or Lag Ja Gale because Lataji has taken the songs to the pinnacle of perfection. You can’t take them any further.
Shankar Mahadevan
It all depends how one does it without destroying the aesthetics of the original composition. On the plus side, these classics are made accessible to younger generations who have probably never heard these songs. But due credit must be given the original composer. Sometimes these remixes are embarrassing to listen to. But all said and done, there is nothing to beat the high of composing an original song.
Asha Bhosle
When I did the album Rahul & I remixing R.D. Burman’s compositions, I didn’t tamper with one note, one lyric. Only the instruments were modernised. As for the cynics, they’re bound to have their say. For Rahul & I, I was criticised even by those who were my admirers. But I remember a four-year-old boy at a restaurant coming up to me to sing Piya Tu Ab To Aaja. I was so happy that a new generation would be familiarised with RD’s tunes.
Lata Mangeshkar
There was a time when I’d sing a lot on stage. I was once asked to sing a song by Suraiya. I refused. The organisers argued that I’d do full justice to the song. But according to me, a Suraiya song was a Suraiya song in the public’s mind. To eliminate the original is a very difficult task.
One of my songs — Thoda Resham Lagta Hai — composed by Bappi Lahiri for the film Jyoti, made it into a track by the American rap band Truth Hurts. Quite frankly, I didn’t remember this number at all… I didn’t mind it being used in the American song because Truth Hurts hasn’t tampered with my voice or the composition in any way. It’s far more preferable to the remixes here.
