Ila Arun, one of the original singers of the iconic song Choli Ke Peeche from the 1993 movie Khalnayak, recently shared her thoughts on the song’s remake for the film Crew, starring Kareena Kapoor, Tabu, and Kriti Sanon. In an interview with India Today, Ila Arun expressed her disappointment with the lack of communication from the music company, Tips, regarding the remake. Ila Arun revealed that she was informed just five minutes before the release of the remixed version of Choli Ke Peeche and was asked for her blessings. While she gave her blessings, Ila Arun admitted feeling “dumbfounded” and unable to question the decision to remake the original song. She praised the iconic status of the song, its orchestration by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and the performances of Madhuri Dixit and Neena Gupta.
“Firstly, I would like to make it very clear that I have a very good relationship with Tips. Having said that, they called me five minutes before the launch of the song and asked my blessing. What else I could do, except give them my blessings? “
Ila Arun added, “I was dumbfounded but couldn’t ask them why have you done this? So my reaction to the song is exactly what Alka Yagnik’s reaction is. I feel Choli Ke Peeche is such an iconic song. What a fantastic orchestration by Laxmikant–Pyarelal and the world has danced to this colourful tune for years now. It’s a beautiful song written by Anand Bakshi and performed by Madhuri Dixit and Neena Gupta.”
In the same interview, Ila Arun also spoke about the importance of informing the original artists involved in a song’s creation if it is to be remade, describing it as an ethical obligation. Ila Arun expressed her disappointment with the lack of communication and compensation for the original artists, stating that while she appreciates the recognition, she feels shaken by the situation and believes that if profits are made from the remake, the original artists should be compensated.
She said, “I don’t want to create any controversy. The fact is that everyone is complimenting me that I am rocking, but am I not rocking, I am shaken up by this. Even the younger generation is calling me and telling me that my song has been recreated and Kareena Kapoor Khan is dancing to the number, but what can I do about that? I can only say I am dumbfounded. In my opinion, if you want to recreate, you should work with the original artists and keep them in the loop. And if you are making any profit, then they also should get compensation for it.”
