5 Thoughts We Had About Chura Ke Dil Mera 2.0: Shilpa Shetty Is Fire In This Version That Wasn’t Needed But Isn’t Half Bad.
Bollywood is really out of original ideas, and f**ks to give about what we think about their lack of originality. With every new film, there’s a 99.9% possibility that a remix version of an old chartbuster, or a remake or rehash with new lyrics and singers and hook steps, might be arriving. Now this is a rare bullseye to hit, and I’ve mostly seen these remakes getting trashed by the audience. Some like ‘Tamma Tamma 2.0’ from Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya or Aankh Maarey from Simmba have become dance floor favourites for perfectly mixing the original with the new. While others, like ‘Dus Bahane 2.0’ and Baadshah’s ‘Genda Phool’ have been trashed because they disrespected the original in some way. And now, we have Chura Ke Dil Mera 2.0 starring OG star Shilpa Shetty and Meezaan (and a distraught Paresh Rawal in the background), from Priyadarshan’s Hungama 2. Wow, there’s too much ‘2’ in this one sentence!
View this post on Instagram
Okay, full disclosure. I am a huge Main Khiladi Tu Anari fan. Not kidding, I know all the songs and their lyrics, the dialogues and the hook steps. And if the film’s on TV, I’mma watch, because Inspector Karan Joglekar (Akshay Kumar) and film star Deepak Kumar’s (Saif Ali Khan) action-packed bromance is the stuff of pure entertainment. ‘Chura Ke Dil Mera’ is this sensuous love ballad with lyrics that speak of all the insecurities and doubts about love. The chemistry between Akki and Shilpa is sizzling AF. And you remember that song ending in this violin piece that is pretty hot? Yeah, you know what I am talking about!
So of course, I was vehemently opposed to anyone touching the song with the intention of ruining it. And because I am genuine person, and not one of those permanent cynics who hate everything without giving a fair chance, I am here to tell you, I think the song isn’t half bad as the others. Yep, there. I said it. It didn’t blow my mind, or is not going to replace the original in my playlist. I don’t think it needed to exist in the first place; just go and create original songs, Bollywood, FFS. But since this is a virus we have no control over, I am here finding a silver lining. And I think I managed to find a few.
Here are 5 thoughts I had while watching Chura Ke Dil Mera 2.0 from Hungama 2.
1. I would like to worship on the altar of Shilpa Shetty’s hotness. HOW, girl? HOW?
It’s a no-brainer that Shilps looked hot in the OG song. But it should be illegal for this woman to look this hot all these years later! Shilpa Shetty Kundra doesn’t change as many outfits as she did in the original. There’s no sensual chemistry or Bollywood’s typical neck-kissing and happening here because I don’t think that’s the relationship between her character and Meezaan’s (Paresh Rawal’s character might disagree though). And yet, Shilpa Shetty manages to look smokin’, and moves like a dream in this song. Her energy in every step is pure fire, and I didn’t have eyes for anyone else in the song. Like a beacon in that sexy red outfit, she had all my attention!
While we’re on the subject, I couldn’t help but scan the YouTube comments section and came across the usual criticism, most of it from Khiladi Kumar fans, who were missing his presence. But I want to say, I thought Meezaan danced really well in this one, and matched steps with Shilpa. So it was not bad!
2. Thank you for not messing with the song’s hook, even though its mood is entirely changed.
The OG Chura Ke Dil Mera was about two lovers confessing to each other their love and the fears they have about how easily either of them could break the other’s heart. It’s actually one of my favourite things about the song, because in first love, we all have those doubts. What if you fall out of love with me? What if you meet someone else? The new song changes the entire mood, and makes it a song that an admirer sings in praise of the woman that stole his heart, kind of. It’s not sensual, sexy and serious, but flirtatious and fun.
The lyrics of the OG have been changed, or should I say dumbed down for the new generation to groove to, because I don’t think they’d get what “Agar badh gayi hain betaabiyaan, kisi aur se dil laga toh na loge” implies, and it wouldn’t fit the situation here either. But I am glad that they don’t mess with the song’s hook and even manage to keep the hook step, which involves pelvic thrusts (an Akshay Kumar speciality) intact. Appreciate it.
3. I still think that the original singers ought to be retained in every remake, because that’s where nostalgia hits the hardest.
The question that remixes and remakes raise for me is, who are the target audience of this new version? I don’t think the new generation cares much for an era that they weren’t even born in. So logically, you want to catch the attention of the nostalgia-obsessed 90s kid. Then why change the singers? The magic of Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik’s pairing is still so potent! Maybe find a way to mix it, like Aankh Maarey did, where you have a brief interlude of the original.
Full respect to Benny Dayal and Anmol Malik, but come on.
4. Erm… one thing from the original they could’ve not retained was the length of the song!
The original song arrived at a time when movies were three hours long, every song had at least two antaraas, actors didn’t shy of hair on their body and actresses flaunted their unibrow. We’re the generation of quick content consumption. Did Chura Ke Dil Mera 2.0 have to be that long? Don’t push your luck with a song that’s already on shaky ground.
5. Is there going to be anything original about this movie? Like should we try and have hopes?
This is Hungama 2.0, a spiritual sequel of Hungama, also directed by Priyadarshan. The film is reportedly a remake of Priyadarshan’s Malayalam film Minnaram, which was already remade in Tamil (Azhagana Natkal) because the original was so well made. Now there’s a song which is also a remake. Toh friends, should we expect anything original from the film or no? I really hope this doesn’t end up being much hungama about nothing.
Meanwhile, here’s the original Chura Ke Dil Mera, because we all need to be reminded of just how awesome it is.
https://youtu.be/G_qyLs1SJbQ
Hungama 2.0 will release on July 23, 2021, on Disney+Hotstar VIP.
