Badshah, who is currently basking in the success of Sneha Shetty directorial Genda Phool featuring Jacqueline Fernandez, recently talked about Bollywood remixes, plagiarism and objectification.
Talking about the lyrics with a thin line between praise and objectification, Badshah said, “I’m not saying I’m a poet, but comparison is a tool to make your language ornamental and that’s why I use similes and metaphors,” Badshah reasons, unfazed by the criticism. “Earlier, when there was no social media, feedback was delayed. Now, everyone has an opinion. As an artiste, I respect that but I don’t have to heed everything."
Talking of credit, after Tanishk Bagchi’s reprised version of Masakali released, the original’s composer AR Rahman appealed to the audience to listen to his song from Delhi 6 since it was made with “no short cuts, properly commissioned, sleepless nights, writes and rewrites by over 200 musicians over 365 days of creative brainstorming with the aim to produce music that can last generations”. The film’s director, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, added, “Beware of the remix, it will damage your eardrums.”
Enjoy the original #Masakali https://t.co/WSKkFZEMB4@RakeyshOmMehra @prasoonjoshi_ @_MohitChauhan pic.twitter.com/9aigZaW2Ac
— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) April 8, 2020
As someone who has been on both ends of the spectrum, from reprising songs to having his songs reworked, Badshah said it all boils down to audience reaction. “Comparisons are inevitable. I loved the ‘Aankh Marey’ remix more than the original. My 2015 song, ‘Wakhra Swag’, was recently remixed for a film without my knowledge. It worked but I’m still asked to play my version wherever I go,” he chuckled, pointing out that he worked on the only remake AR Rahman agreed to. “We were at an event and he called me from the other end of the room, to say that he really liked my remixed version of ‘Humma Humma’.”
The singer/composer is now working on Badshah 2.0. The idea is to reinvent his songs and take Indian music to the global platform.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
