Play it again, Sam

Old Bollywood tracks are being remixed and used by many composers today, and people seem to be loving it. TOI reports on the trend.

Mohammed Rafi, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kishore Kumar and others are hitting the charts once again. How is that happening? The reason is pretty simple. Old melodies and tracks are being incorporated in contemporary Bollywood films, the latest example being Khalnayak’s Choli ke peeche which was used by A R Rahman in the critically-acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire.

Mohd Rafi’s Aaj mausam bada beimaan hai from Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s Loafer was incorporated in Monsoon Wedding. When Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia came back together as a middle-aged couple in Pyaar Mein Twist, Kapoor tangoed on screen to his Khel Khel Mein chartbuster Khullam khulla pyar karenge complete with the introductory passage Kya tumne kabhi kisise pyar kiya? His Karz chartbuster Om Shanti Om was used as the prelude to Farah Khan’s film with the same title. Then, there is the classic Ek hasina thi, which was remixed by Himesh Reshammiya in the 2008 remake, Karzzzz. The mechanics may differ from film to film, but there is no doubt that the age-old tracks are here to stay.

It is the beauty and simplicity of these masterpieces that keep us going back to them. Singer Shaan asserts, “It is very difficult to beat the old songs. The works of R D Burman and Kishore Kumar are popular even today. However hard you try, barring a few cases like Don, the older version of a song always has a stronger impact on the audience.”
While remixes are the talk of the day, songs of yesteryear often sound best when played in their original form. Freelance journalist Easwar Bharadwaj believes, “The songs that are being used are already huge hits and audiences connect with them. I feel these songs should not be tampered with. But, I must admit, it is a good idea to let the new generation get a feel of the good old music their parents grooved to when they were young.”

Mona Das, a music executive, is of the opinion that these superhit old songs are always welcome in contemporary movies. “It is a good idea to introduce these songs as part of a peppy soundtrack to the new generation. This gives youngsters, who haven’t heard many songs, more exposure with regard to the kind of music that was made during the heydays of the film music industry. As long as the old music directors are not touchy about the whole issue, remixes are very entertaining.”

Listening to and singing the songs of their predecessors are a part and parcel of being a playback singer. Singer Sonu Niigaam adds, “I really do not have any viewpoint on this. To be very frank, this thought has never crossed my mind. But, as long as the soundtrack is good and the people are kept entertained, I don’t think there is any harm in using old songs or remixing them.”

Most of us love to listen to old songs with meaningful lyrics, melodious tunes and brilliant singing. In fact, there are quite a few music lovers who keep surfing till they find a channel airing only old classics. And, now that old melodies are entering the soundtracks of new flicks, such tracks will have countless new admirers. Not bad at all, since they deserve to be heard again and again and....