Malaika Arora Says Her Song Chaiyya Chaiyya Must Not Be Tampered With. We Think Filmmakers Need To Make Notes!
I believe, and maybe being a content creator has a lot to do with it, that originality in any piece of art is what makes it a masterpiece. Or at least qualifies it for being one. You see, uniqueness is something that people always remember and we agree with it. However, originality is a concept that has off late been lost on many, especially the Bollywood film industry that has been remixing and recycling old movies and songs left, right and center. It is not even done in a tasteful manner that can be appreciated either. They have been taking classic songs and turning them into something that will make your ears bleed. And it’s not just us who are irate at this, Malaika Arora, who too is averse to the idea of altering originals into remixes.
The acting and dancing prodigy, Malaika Arora, who shot to fame with her song Chaiyya Chaiyya has recently admitted that she does not want her songs to turn into one of those terrible remixes. As she preemptively tries to avoid a situation where one of her iconic songs is turned into a techno version of mockery that people would only end up criticizing heavily. Malaika has said this in the context of her famous song, “chaiyya chaiyya”, that even today can get the laziest bum onto the dance floor. Not to mention, that song has made almost every Bollywood buff try to climb on top of a train compartment to do the hook step at least once before the authorities detain them.
Keen on insinuating how her song shouldn’t be tampered with she said, “When you play that song, you can’t help but get up and dance. It is an iconic song. When I shot the song, Geeta Kapur was assisting Farah Khan at that time. I used to study under Terence Lewis, Geeta assisted me on that dance. It was nice. We felt that let’s just go for it. She also added, “I think some of the remixes are fantastic and go with today’s age and kids but yeah, there are certain things you should not tamper with like The Godfather or Mother India are iconic films. You should just let them be.” And we can’t help but agree with her here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_Om2_hLTd/
Also Read : This Remix Of Aankh Marey Is Going To Be The Party Anthem Of The Season
Iconic songs and movies are finding themselves under the knife. Filmmaker’s and directors picking up and dissecting some of the most trendsetting songs of the industry into cheap knockoffs that are less than flattering. These songs sometimes even come across as an apparent insult to the artists and actors who were part of the original. For example, take Saki Saki from the hit film Kaantey that featured Koena Mitra. It was remixed with Nora Fatehi in the new version. Though we all know what an amazing dancer Nora is, it was still met with a lot of criticism especially from Koena who said, “My song from Musafir #Saaki Saaki” has been recreated. Sunidhi, Suhwinder, Vishal, Shekhar combination was outstanding. Didn’t like the new version, it’s a mess! This song had crashed many blockbusters! Why Batlahouse, why? PS: Nora is a stunner. Hope she saves our pride.”
My song from Musafir #Saaki Saaki" has been recreated.
Sunidhi, Suhwinder, Vishal, Shekhar combination was outstanding. Didn't like the new version, it's a mess! This song had crashed many blockbusters! Why batlahouse, why?
P. S: Nora is a stunner. Hope she saves our pride.— Koena Mitra (@koenamitra) July 13, 2019
Mungda, being another example. The famous song that originally featured none other than the golden girl of her age, Helen, was turned into a chaotic and flashy performance by Sonakshi Sinha. Who even though maybe a good actress, could not hold a candle to the panache of her veteran predecessor. And not just songs, even movies are being now modified into modernised versions of the previous ones. TBH, we are far more wary about this than we are excited.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQmrmVs10X8
You see, every time a remix or a remake hits the market, it takes our expectations to a certain high. The OG versions of those songs are the very foundation of music industry and they have set the bar extremely high. So it is only natural that we expect these remixed versions to at least match that level if not one-up it. But alas, if there is one thing Bollywood has made us comfortable with, it is handling disappointment. So, every time we see an old song being recycled, we simply wait for that feeling of displeasure to wash over us.
Not to forget the disappointment of “been there seen that” kind of content that absolutely takes away any element of surprise. I have a feeling the industry been hit with a giant writer’s block and after so many years, they’ve just run out of original ideas. Have they honestly stopped caring about coming up something new and let their complacency get the better of them? We are yet to find out, and hopefully not through another remake because we can’t sit through that.
Malaika Arora further explained her statement by saying, “In today’s day and age there is a constant trend of remixes. There are a few songs that I think you should never touch. They are iconic. There must be five or 10 songs over the years that you can pull out. ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya‘ is one of them. Don’t tamper with it, just let the original be and that’s how it should be,” and we do hope that she is heard out here.
Also Read : 5 Thoughts I Had While Watching Bhankas From Baaghi 3. Mainly Ki Why Do They Have No Originality?
