Remakes the New Normal in Bollywood

14/11/2021

Harihar Muni

Image from - Quint YouTube Channel

Remakes, the literal meaning of Remake/Remade is nothing but, recreated again or if we refer to google then, says make (something) again or differently. Wait, did you just read differently but most of the times things in the Bollywood industry are copied or ripped off from the original creator and cut copy-pasted on the channel or video and named it as a remade. or remake of some video. Currently, there is a trend in the Bollywood film industry of lifting any random all-time superhit/good hit song, from the late 70s, 80s 90s, or the recently released melodies and are just spoiling it in the name of the remake. I don't have to remind you how the recent Mega Budget mass-masala film a 2021 released film Sooryavanshi simply ruined the magic of the vintage, romantic, steamy Bollywood song Tip Tip Barsa Paani. Today majority of the film production houses demand a remake of any generation, it works and sometimes fails but, this trend is very much celebrated as well as hated at the same time. But, remaking songs without killing the original magic of the song needs high skills and total dedication towards your version also, for the song you are planning to remake. There have been many examples, how you can recreate the same magic or bring more energy and life to the song much better than the original without murdering it.

Here are a few lists of Bollywood songs I would like to show, which are the epitome of remakes. Okay, let’s divide it into two categories the best one and the worst remakes ever made.

1.Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte:

I am ready for a debate if you come up with as good and as iconic examples of how not to ruin the original classics. Composed by the greatest of the 2000s Bollywood singer, composer duo Salim-Sulaiman who just recreated the magic of the golden era for the parent generation but still, this song was very much loved and still been celebrated and played in school functions, musical chairs ordnance functions. This song and it just re-discovered the Vintage era with a soulful and promising track sung by Sonu Nigam will never be forgotten.

courtesy - Youtube (YRF)

2. The Remix Era:

When it comes to remix how can we not stop talking about the era of remix, yes they were remade, but the majority of the song was loved and celebrated more than its original. Songs like Kanta Laga, Ek Prdesi Mera Dil Legaya, Pardesiyaan Yeh Sach Hai Piya, Bin Tere Sanaam, Chod Do Aanchal Zamaan and maany more . . . A perfect blend of modern music without losing the taste of classics.

courtesy - Youtube

3. The New Wave Of Remakes in Bollywood :

Remakes were produced and released on a very frequent basis as there were many original writers and musicians were composing some of the most iconic and beautiful songs. Somewhere in the year, 2015-16 song music labels started to remake their own chartbuster songs like Dheere Dheere Se which was originally owned by the same music label i.e T-Series, that song had a new age rap touch composed by the Rap Star Yo Yo Honey Singh, it did work and ruled in the heart of many parent generation audiences and the youth too, since then till now the trend of producing and remaking self-produced or classic’s of other era and music labels are on fashion have been successful too. Here are a few music examples.

Courtesy - YouTube

4. The Diasater :

The further lies and opinions are absolutely personal, so there is no intention to demean or defame anybody’s choice likes/dislikes its totally my point of view and what makes me decide to like or hate, so please do not take it personally. Talking about the trend of remake and its good we have seen and read all these years and also, in the following blog, but I have a simple question that once you love someone and when you get choice to love another person, but he/she lacks all the quality which whom you loved. So how could you fall in love with the other person without knowing all the flaws and things you don’t like and match. This may sound like I am bragging like a small toddler, but Music, Movies are really close to my heart once, I like music/song, and then it’s ruined or remade (if recreating the same magic had with the original one at its first listen) it really pisses me off. I know currently, there are debates rolling around Twitter, Instagram following with memes like, when Salman Khan tried to copy or “remake” the Seeti Maar song in his previous film Radhe.

The same goes with when Chura Ke Dil Mera was remade and I swear many of the original song fans and people from the 90s bombarded the social media with hate on YouTube by disliking the video and making memes on different social media platforms.

Special Mentions - Remakes of Tanishk Bagchi