Time and again remixes of old songs have knocked on the doors of music lovers. While some listeners have accepted them with open arms, others feel that they can easily be passed off as old wine in a new bottle. This year started with a remix of the popular song Yamla Pagla Deewana followed by a remixed version of Dev Anand’s classic Hare Rama Hare Krishna song, Dum maaro dum…and now item queen Yana Gupta brings alive Qurbani’s Laila mein Laila for Chalo Dilli.
Music enthusiast Barun Gaur says, “It is an era of remixes and nobody is immuned to them. The best part of remixes is that they become an instant hit with the audience.”
Seconds Priya Raman, a DU student, “I don’t think that there is any problem in remixing the old songs. It signifies the change in the palates of music lovers. Adding a modern touch to the old versions is always welcome. As a result remix industry is booming.”
Yesteryear’s sizzling siren Zeenat Aman was recently quoted as “If today’s generation wants to incorporate cult-hit numbers in their movies, one can’t blame them. As long as it’s done aesthetically, I don’t mind remixes. But it brings distaste to an artiste when his or her hit is retouched and turned into a tacky-sounding number.”
Music composer Dhruv Dhalla says that he would prefer to create his own sound and music and make that identifiable. “I personally don’t like the remixes. If I am asked to remix an old song, I will. But I will not take the credit for the composition. It will mainly be to fit the bill for a movie,” he says.
As a die-hard loyalist to the old songs, Dhruv further adds that originals were made to supplement the plot of the film unlike today. “These songs are used as a recall to the original version. They definitely sound better with today’s technology while the essence remains. But an original had its own charm, its own foot print and that’s what makes it classic and iconic,” adds Dhruv.
Advertising professional Ridhima Kaul too believes that remixing kills the flavour of the originals. “The way most of these songs are remixed, it just makes the original song sound pathetic. I would say that it is better to create new songs rather than showing your creativity in remixing. Let the old songs be. The feeling of listening to old melodies can’t be compared to anything else,” she says.