Remixed tunes stifling originality?

For the past two years, remixed old songs have been playing on a loop. Filmmakers have been asking music composers to give classic numbers a thorough dusting, add a beat or two and turn them into chartbusters.

And they're killing it! All you have to do is listen to a couple of lines from the new and 'improved' Laila o Laila, Humma humma, Sara zamana, Tamma tamma and Hare Krishna Hare Ram to know why they are so addictive.

Laced with nostalgia and recreated to sound current and catchy, these numbers are firing the imagination of listeners. These peppy, chartbusting tracks are also being used by producers as a powerful promotional tool for new releases. The combination of excellent recall value and heart-pumping, foot-tapping beats makes for a great hook to draw movie-goers to cinemas. They have also been breaking the Internet with millions of views, a crucial requirement while marketing a film. For filmmakers, it's all about the numbers.

Yet, even as everyone seems to be humming a remixed tune today, there are concerns surrounding the tendency of filmmakers to pick up a classic song and get an artiste to rehash it into a commercial tool for his or her movie.

The question remains: Is the Hindi film and music industry running out of originality and is the 'remix trend' here to stay? We spoke to some of the most popular artistes to get answers.

I find it difficult to understand why people are criticising remakes. I grew up listening to old classics, mainly because my parents exposed me to music like that. Not everyone grows up with such gems being an essential part of their childhood or even remotely heard inside the household.

A remake of a song is a great way to introduce new-age kids to the music of yesteryears, in an avatar that is new and perhaps more palatable to them, with digital and cleaner sounds. They can always check out the original if they connect with the rehashed version. What may otherwise have never been heard by them is suddenly commercially exposed to masses. Where's the harm in continuing this trend?

Also, isn't it all about the music? As long as there is good music, and remakes aren't contaminating the essence and soul of the original composition, music should be able to touch people. The only requirement is that the remake accreditations should be correct and stay intact and, with due respect, composition credits should rightfully go to the original composer of the song.

I believe that songs are a separate entity from the movie itself. I understand how promotional tracks, which may or may not be in the film, are used. They are played aggressively as part of a film's promotional campaign and used to attract the masses to watch a particular film. There were so many massive hit tracks and songs from movies that bombed after the film's release. So there is no guarantee that promotional numbers will positively impact a film's collections. Even though they are artistically associated with the same product, they are actually two separate industries and entities.

Nikita Gandhi

Singer

I don't think we can put a deadline on a trend like this. As long as people enjoy remakes, why not keep giving them what they love, especially when the essence of this trend is to pay tribute to the magic that was created in an earlier era?

Some composers have given us beautiful albums this year, amazing compositions that perhaps did not make it to a million-plus views. There is never a dearth of content, just an audience that is perhaps enjoying nostalgia right now. Having said that, let's not dilute the creativity that lies in the production quality of a track, and I think Bollywood has done an amazing job with some remakes. We have some crazy mixes and mind-blowing producers.

We should definitely continue with the remake trend in 2018. I have heard the remixed versions of Humma humma and Tamma tamma and they sound brilliant. Listening to recreated cult classics is like stepping into a time machine. And the songs sound contemporary too.

By remaking old numbers, we are not losing any original content. There are a lot of original songs being produced as we have a greater number of releases now than ever before. So when we bring back an old melody, it stands out. Remixed songs help market a film. They are an important part of filmmaking too as they strategically enhance the status of a film.

I feel it is high time this trend fades away. Composers today do not want to remix and recreate songs. Isn't creating something new the whole point of having new composers? This year saw so many recreations that so many situations were wasted, where new blockbuster songs could have been written and used in their pace.

Recycling helps save our environment, but recycling films or songs certainly doesn't! On the contrary, this trend of remixing or recreating songs is polluting our industry. As far as collections are concerned, films like Dangal and Baahubali did exceptionally well and they had original stories and music tailored to the respective films. They did not feature any recreations. Bollywood needs new content, not a version of everything that has already been heard or seen.

There are so many music professionals in the industry today that composers lose opportunities if they refuse to recreate songs or offer to create an original. So, those who rely on film music for their livelihood do almost everything they are asked to do, just to stay in the game. This is a vicious circle. Here's something to think about… This year had the maximum number of recreated songs and the maximum number of box-office disasters!

Mithoon

Composer

I cannot pass judgement on this as we work in a creative industry and everyone has the right to do what they believe is right. But, as an artiste, I do not connect with the idea of recreating old songs; it does not excite me. I had recreated Aye mere humsafar for the film All Is Well and I have never done it again.

I think we have enough talent in this country to create original music and that process should be encouraged. The biggest hits in my career have been my original songs.

We have been using remakes for a very long time. Today, again, filmmakers are reusing popular, old tunes as a marketing and promotional strategy. But, as a singer, I believe one should not reuse old songs too much in favour of our own, individual creativity.

But if you must remix a song, you should do it smartly. For example, the producers of Mohra wanted to use the hugely popular line, Tu cheez badi hain mast mast. The original song had been sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, so the song owners suggested that one use only the first line, which was recreated in Mohra. The song became super hit. In fact, I sang Tu cheez badi hain mast mast for Machine. It was a nice move to have kept the original voice.

Remaking songs is not a new trend. There was an era of remixes which was followed by rap and now recreation. The difference is that songs were remixed and recreated for the movies but only rarely. Now, almost every movie has a remixed song and sometimes, multiple recreations! In principle, I have nothing against remixing and reusing old songs as long as it is done beautifully and differently from the original. I suppose time will decide how long this trend will last and, till then, let's enjoy the good remixes and ignore the bad ones. You cannot remix a song and randomly insert it into a movie. Directors today are very aware of the situational value of a song. That's why remixed versions of old songs are usually used as promotional numbers.

Shruti Pathak Singer

Everything has its own charm. I am not against recreations, provided they are done well. But original music is very important and should not suffer because of a trend. I am sure the audience enjoys remixed numbers but I am not sure that they help collections in any way. In the last two to three years, remixes have compromised the original music scene and that's sad. Why be limited it by repeating something again?BOI