A.R. Rahman on remix culture

We are living in a world where the remake culture is rising at a rapid pace. While some may appreciate the remaking of certain songs many do not. Recently, singer Neha Kakkar received a lot of backlash for creating a remake of singer Falguni Pathak’s iconic song Maine Payal Hai Chhankai.

Even singer Falguni Pathak expressed her discontent with the remake of her song. Amongst many is A.R. Rahman who also believes that the remaking of old songs ruins the authenticity of original ones. Read on to know his views on the remake culture.

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maine payal hai chhankai neha kakkar
koimoi

The remake culture is “distorted,” says music maestro A.R. Rahman

Award-winning singer and music composer A.R. Rahman is considered a legend when it comes to music. His views are appreciated as much as his music. Recently, in an interview with India Today, A.R. Rahman was asked an interesting question. The question read,

“What are your thoughts on other composers in the industry remixing your songs and compositions?”

To this, the music maestro said that he believes it is “distorted”. He said and we quote,

“The more I see, the more it is distorted. The intention of the composer gets distorted. People say, ‘I am reimagining.’ Who are you to re-imagine? I am also very careful about taking someone else’s work. You have to be respectful and I think it is a grey area, we need to sort it out.”

The question sparked due to the O Sajna controversy surrounding renowned singers Neha Kakkar and Falguni Pathak. His reply to the question highlighted how one should always respect an artist’s original work.

AR Rahman, bollywood singer and composer
indianexpress

A.R. Rahman talks about how he deals with people seeking permission to remake and remix his songs

Composer of several best songs from the industries of Bollywood and south, A.R. Rahman also talked about how he deals with people who seek his permission to remake and remix his songs.

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In the interview, he shared that during the Telugu music launch several people like producers and directors said “every song that you two (Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman) make, sounds fresh now because it is all done in digital mastering. It already has that quality and everyone appreciates it. So, if I need to do that, I need to recreate it.”

He then went on to say that people do seek his permission to remake his songs but he just finds it totally weird. He said and we quote,

“Of course, people take permission, but you cannot take something recently and remake it again. It feels weird.”

If we talk about the Workfront of legend Rahman then he was busy working and promoting his composed music for Mani Ratnam’s upcoming film Ponniyin Selvan. For this film, he has come up with a mesmerizing composition Alaikadal (Doobi Doobi). With her melodious voice, Antara Nandy is making her debut with talented people like A.R. Rahman and Mani Ratnam.

Ponniyin Selvan 1 is a period drama that is featuring Aishwarya Rai in the lead role. It is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s Tamil novel and is currently streaming in all the theatres.

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An enthusiastic writer with a zeal for writing tales that would linger in the reader's mind—that's how you'd best describe Shivangi. With over 3 years of experience in content writing, it is safe to say that she possesses a skillful touch in crafting lucid content that is well researched and SEO-friendly. She's pursuing her post-graduation in History from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University. Thus, her interest lies in writing about historical narratives as well as contemporary happenings and, of course, Bollywood gossip.