Bollywood loves nostalgia but has a complicated relationship with it. Be it remaking old movies or reinventing old songs, Bollywood loves a good throwback. For instance, many recent films have been remixing and reinventing old songs, including the iconc ‘Saat Samandar Paar’.
However, the question remains: is this remixing is a clever way to modernise timeless hits, or a worrying sign that original film music is running out of steam?
Border 2 song ‘Ghar Kab Aoge’ gets reinvented
Varun Dhawan starrer ‘Border 2’ has just released the new version of 'Ghar Kab Aoge' from the 1997 film ‘Border. The troupe of musicians credited for 'Ghar Kab Aaoge' are Anu Malik, Mithoon, Sonu Nigam, Arijit Singh, Roop Kumar Rathod, Vishal Mishra, Diljit Dosanjh, Javed Akhtar, and Manoj Muntashir.
Remember when Katrina Kaif recreated 'Tip Tip Barsa Paani' for 2020 film ‘Sooryavanshi’? The original song is from the Raveena Tandon and Akshay Kumar starrer 1994 film ‘Mohra’. While the Katrina song found much appreciation, Tandon’s version remains the true classic.
Whether it's Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor dancing to the reworked version of 'Bijuria’ or Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh grooving to the new version of 'Jhumka Gira Re', Bollywood has been reworking its music, and many are loving it.
Similarly, 'Kala Chashma' was reborn as a Bollywood chart-topper in ‘Baar Baar Dekho’, proving that familiarity can still guarantee virality.
This isn’t Bollywood’s first brush with musical recycling. The early 2000s saw a remix boom where DJs and music labels reworked songs from the 1960s and 1970s. Then came the late 2010s, when nostalgia shifted gears to the 1990s. David Dhawan-era hits, peppy dance numbers, and chartbusters from that decade were dusted off and repackaged for a younger audience.
In the age of reels, playlists, and instant virality, recognisable tunes travel faster. Familiarity plays a huge role. An old hit already has recall value and already has a built-in audience across generations. For producers, it’s a safer bet than introducing an entirely new sound in a market driven by algorithms and opening-day numbers.
However, this reliance on the past also raises uncomfortable questions about originality. While independent artists and non-film music scenes are experimenting boldly, is mainstream Hindi film music too risk-averse?
