Remakes have now become synonymous with Bollywood. From movie and show remakes to song remakes, Bollywood does it all. Unfortunately, they often fail to live up to the standards set by the original piece of art. Having said that, there have been a few times Bollywood did get song remakes right. No, we are not talking about the new Pasoori; that was blasphemy. Over the years, some remade songs have actually retained the essence of the original or made it even better. Here are some of the song remakes Bollywood did right.

1. Udd Jaa Kaale Kaava from Gadar 2

Udd Jaa Kaale Kaava was an iconic song from the 2001 movie Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. The song has been recreated for the sequel of the movie 22 years after the release of the original. This is one song remake that has managed to retain the essence of the original and gives it a modern touch. This remake invokes nostalgia and takes you back to the original love story of Tara and Sakina. Now, this is one song remake Bollywood did right in a year where they have churned out some really bad ones as well.

2. Mere Rashke Qamar from Baadshaho

Probably the only thing Baadshaho did right was recreating the beautiful track Mere Rashke Qamar. Originally, the song was sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, but the recreated version was sung by his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with the music composed by Tanishk Bagchi. The melodious track is about love and royalty and features Ajay Devgn and Ileana D’Cruz.

3. Yeh Mera Dil from Don

Originally featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman, Yeh Mera Dil is from the 1978 film Don, sung by Asha Bhosle. The song was remade for the reboot of the classic film titled Don: The Chase Begins Again. The remake sung by Sunidhi Chauhan is picturised on Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan. The recreated version retained the essence of the original song while giving it a more upbeat, contemporary, and stylish twist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2dE5N6v-JY

4. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga from Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, originally from the movie 1942 A Love Story, was a love song composed by RD Burman and sung by Kumar Sanu. Picturised on Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala, the song is about a man falling in love with a girl he met recently. The song was recreated for the movie Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga which starred Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Regina Cassandra in the lead. The reprised version became a lesbian love anthem, that portrayed how a girl falls in love with another girl. With additional lyrics and an upbeat, perky melody, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is one of the song remakes Bollywood did right. Interestingly, Anil Kapoor also stars in the movie Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga.

5. Tamma Tamma Again from Badrinath Ki Dulhania

Tamma Tamma Loge from the 1991 movie Thanedaar was a superb dance number picturised on dancing diva Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt. The song was remade for the Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan starrer Badrinath Ki Dulhania. The remake was made into a fun, peppy party number which quickly found a spot on everyone’s playlists. The original singers Bappi Lahiri and Anuradha Paudwal joined hands with Badshah to give us the reprised version of the song.

6. The Humma Song from OK Jaanu

Humma Humma from the 1995 movie Bombay was a fan favourite. Created by AR Rahman, the song made everyone dance to its tunes. When it was reprised for OK Jaanu, everyone thought it might not be a good idea. But what’s a better testament to the quality of the song than a thumbs up from AR Rahman himself? The new version of the song keeps the originality of the song intact and adds modern, upbeat rhythms to the song to make it more contemporary.

It is not very often that Bollywood gets remakes right. But these remakes are as good as the original, and some may even be a tiny bit better. So, which Bollywood song remake is your favourite?

Featured Image Source

Related: Remembering Bappi Lahiri: 12 Songs By Bollywood’s King Of Disco That Still Have Us Grooving