Rahman says remixes are ‘disastrous’

He joins a long list of musical celebs who have outraged against the trend

The debate about remixes has been revisited many times but when the Mozart of Madras throws his hat into the ring, you have to take note. In a recent interview, A R Rahman said that barring one, he didn’t like any remixes of his songs, as he found them ‘disastrous and annoying’. He was happy only with The Humma Song (from ‘Ok Jaanu’ in 2017) as ‘it helped the movie’. Rahman went on to add that he even told a company, which made a remix, that he hated it and he will be trolled if he supported it.

He is not the first composer to voice his angst -- Last year, Vishal Dadlani took to social media to warn musicians that remixes of his songs won’t be taken lightly, and he won’t hesitate to move the court if needed. He was supported by singer and music composer Armaan Malik and Badshah.

Music composer Pritam has blamed the trend on ‘herd mentality’ while Lata Mangeshkar was furious when her song Chalte Chalte (from Kamal Amrohi’s Pakeezah) was recreated by Tanishk Bagchi for the 2018 movie Mitron. Sukhwinder Singh and Koena Mitra expressed their displeasure with the remake of ‘Saki Saki’ while music composer duo Sachin–Jigar have gone on record to say that “doing remixes does not give them any creative pleasure”. Veteran singer Asha Bhosle was scathing in her indictment of music directors who opt for remixes, calling them “people without a brain and a voice”.

Ever since Bollywood started the trend of remaking classic (and even not so classic) songs, the audience has been divided in its opinion. While some believe that recreation allows the younger generation to discover old musical gems and that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, others feel that it is not fair for newcomers to benefit from the success and effort of the original artiste. Remixed songs have been criticised for being just dance-y variations of the original numbers, with most adaptations featuring needless electronic sounds and rap verses.

'Remixes should induce nostalgia’

Singer Sanah Moidutty, known for her covers of Hindi and Malayalam songs, says it’s important to keep in mind that any remake is not meant to replace the original. “The arrangements can be given a fresh approach but any tweaks to the melody can be tricky. People should be able to connect to the remake. Even if it sounds fresh, it should bring a sense of nostalgia,” she says.
Sanah adds that Rahman’s songs are quite complex. “And people, including me, are used to listening to his songs with a soul and sound that’s unique to him. I have done renditions of a few Rahman songs on my channel. I have also done covers of Malayalam songs of legendary composers like Benny Ignatius, Sharreth, Vidyasagar and Shyam. But all these are just humble attempts --
I covered them only because I’m a huge fan of their music and I love those songs,” she says.

Remixes that were panned by the audience

‘Dus Bahane’

The original version was heard in the movie ‘Dus’ and is now making a comeback in the upcoming ‘Baaghi 3’. The remix is so bad people are wishing they could see Junior Bachchan and Zayed Khan on screen again!

‘Raabta’

A melodious number in ‘Agent Vinod’ was turned into an item number for the 2017 flick ‘Raabta’.

‘Ankhiyon Se Goli Mare’

The cult classic from Govinda and Raveena Tandon starrer ‘Dulhe Raja’ was mercilessly butchered in ‘Pati, Patni Aur Woh’ last year.

‘Muqabla’

Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor gave it their all but some classics like ‘Mukkala Muqabla’ should be left alone. The original was seen in Prabhu Deva-starrer Tamil film ‘Kadhala’.

‘Haan Main Galat’

It is a remake of ‘Twist’ from Love Aaj Kal, which starred Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan. Director Imtiaz Ali just opted for version two of the song, the movie title, the plot and even an actor (Saif’s daughter Sara Ali Khan) in ‘Love Aaj Kal’.

‘Ek Do Teen’

Jacqueline Fernandez did ‘Ek Do Teen’, a reprised version of Madhuri Dixit’s famous number from Tezaab, and all hell broke loose. Celebrities and fans were outraged at the travesty.

We could go on but the list is endless — The Disco Song (Student of the Year), Laila (Raees), Haseeno Ka Deewana (Kaabil), Tamma Tamma (Badrinath Ki Dulhania), Tu Cheez Badi (Machine), Ishq Tera Tadpave (Hindi Medium), Hawa Hawa (Mubarakan), Mere Rashke Qamar ( Baadshaho), Neeend Churai Meri (Golmaal Again), Sanu Ek Pal (Raid), Dilbar Dilbar (Satyameva Jayate), Dekhte Dekhte (Batti Gul Meter Chalu), Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le (Dear Zindagi), Chamma Chamma (Fraud Saiyyan), O Saki Saki (Batla House), Ek Toh Kum Zindagani (Marjaavaan), Oonchi Hai Building (Judwaa 2).