Filmmaker Aditya Dhar ’s Dhurandhar franchise recreated several old songs, including Na To Caravan Ki Talaash Hai, Ramba Ho and more, and the songs went viral. Now, lyricist Sameer Anjaan has criticised the franchise for recreating old songs and expressed disappointment over the way Bollywood has been treating music.
However, that is not the problem. Recreating a song has both pros and cons. Like when they remade my ‘Dilbar’ song, it got reintroduced to Gen Z. However, the problem starts when, while recreating a song, you ignore the original lyricist even when they are available and give the writing work to someone else, who then gives vulgar lines unrelated to the word ‘Dilbar’. They are insulting the literature. If you can improve something, please do. But don’t play with something to spoil the original. He stressed that this practice needs to stop, adding that good creative work remains relevant for generations. Satyanash kar diya. They picked the music and put it in the background. In the trailer of Chauhan, they are playing Jumma Chumma during an action sequence. They recreated my song while they are firing guns. Where is the song? My father doesn’t own the industry for me to make them stop. But this will continue until they ruin it all completely and then have nothing left. He added that he did not understand what had gone wrong with them and felt that they, too, no longer focused enough on music. Sameer Anjaan is one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated lyricists, known for giving words to some of Bollywood’s biggest romantic and chart-topping songs. He is the son of veteran lyricist Anjaan and began his film career in the 1980s. He rose to prominence with films such as Aashiqui, Dil, Deewana and Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke. His memorable lyrics include Nazar Ke Saamne, Teri Umeed Tera Intezaar and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, among others.
In a chat with Komal Nahata on his podcast, Game Changers, Sameer shared his views on songs being recreated in Bollywood and said, “The fact is that you cannot stop inventions. Sameer said that, morally, people should not use creative work without the permission of the original writers. The lyricist further criticised Dhurandhar for using old songs out of context, particularly during violent action sequences, and said, “Films like Dhurandhar have made the situation even worse. Sameer said he was more disappointed with the top banners owned by Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar, as they used to patronise good music.
He also dismissed the assumption that older lyricists may not understand the pulse of today’s audience, saying that age does not mean they are out of touch with contemporary sensibilities.
