Amaal Mallik talks about recreating the iconic 1991 song Tumhe Apna Banane for upcoming film Hate Story 3
Kasmin Fernandes (BOMBAY TIMES; November 6, 2015)
You've recreated Tumhe Apna Banane from 1991 film Sadak for Hate Story 3.
Armaan (Malik) and Neeti Mohan have sung the song and Zareen Khan really held the video. The song is such a legendary one for me and Armaan, it's really funny to be associated with it because when Sadak was made, we were not even born. I was born the same year. I have given a different take on it. I have made it a little Buddha Bar, a little saxophone, guitars. I changed the whole arrangement. I added my own parts to it. The old antara was, 'Mohabbat kya hai main sab ko bata doongi...' I made it 'Rokna nahi mujhko Zidd pe aa gayi hoon main Iss qadar deewanapan chadha' which is more sensual, more in line with the film. Even in the lyrics, we changed 'Tumhe apna banane ki kasam khayi hai' to 'Tumhe apna banane ka junoon sar pe hai'. Lyricist Rashmi Virag and I reworked it to make it work for the film and give something new because I don't think anyone of my age gives any kasam to anyone that main tumse pyaar karta hoon. Love in today's time has also changed. No one is really going gung to kill themselves for love unless they are psychotic. Relationships have become chilled. This song is about the obsession to make you mine, so that's why we made it 'Junoon sar pe hai, kab se hai'.
Whenever you've covered a song, you've reworked it like you did with Tere Bin Nahi Laage (Ek Paheli Leela).
That's been my focus. After I did Tere Bin Nahi Laage, lots of people came to me and said, 'Let's recreate 10 songs.' I said I don't want to recreate unless I can do justice. Even this song, I was very wary of doing. I told Bhushan (Kumar) sir that it's been such a legendary song that your father and Nadeem Shravan had done, I cannot do it if it's not good. 'If I make something shit, please don't accept it,' I told him. It was a tradition they followed. They covered Aaj Phir Tum Pe from Dayavan in Hate Story 2, so they felt Hate Story 3 should also have one song which is a classic recreated.
How did the song happen?
Bhushan sir called me one night from Spain and told me about it. I had never even heard the song. I grew up with songs like Tujhe Dekha Toh (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) and then started hearing RD Burman but I missed out the early 90s - Deewana, Darr and Baazigar. He said that it was the biggest song of that era. don't listen to it for more than two minutes otherwise you will make it dated. He wanted my approach on this. So I made new verses and that's how we made Tumhe Apna. Even Neeti Mohan is someone I have collaborated with for the first time through this song. She has done a fabulous job. She was also hesitant. She was like, 'I have sung happy songs.' On Tumhe Apna Banane, I made her sing completely baritone. I made her sing like a sensuous goddess. She evoked a voice she never knew she had.
What do you think of this trend of recreating songs?
If I don't get my angle to the song even in a recreation, there's no point in recreating. You should just make a remix. I am loving the originals I am doing but if there's a song I am told to recreate and I can't newness to it, then what's the point? Then, it's better to use the original. One song in this genre I really loved is Chirantan Bhatt's Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta (Boss), that's a real recreation.
How important is social media for composers these days?
I have got quite a decent following since my first film. For that, I have to credit Salman (Khan) sir because when I was announced as his music director (for Jai Ho), immediately his fans and people my age started following me. Slowly, with my music coming out - Sooraj Dooba Hain (Roy), Saiyaan Superstar and Tere Bin Nahi Laage (Ek Paheli Leela), Naina (Khoobsurat), Chaar Shanivaar (All Is Well) and the single Chal Wahan Jaate Hain sung by Arijit Singh, every song started winning its own kind of audience.
What are you looking forward to?
I am composing six songs for the biopic on M S Dhoni and four songs for Akshay Kumar-starrer Airlift. There are also songs in Baaghi, Kapoor & Sons, Sanam Re, Mastizaade, Junooniyat, Rocky Handsome and Tum Bin 2.
Armaan (Malik) and Neeti Mohan have sung the song and Zareen Khan really held the video. The song is such a legendary one for me and Armaan, it's really funny to be associated with it because when Sadak was made, we were not even born. I was born the same year. I have given a different take on it. I have made it a little Buddha Bar, a little saxophone, guitars. I changed the whole arrangement. I added my own parts to it. The old antara was, 'Mohabbat kya hai main sab ko bata doongi...' I made it 'Rokna nahi mujhko Zidd pe aa gayi hoon main Iss qadar deewanapan chadha' which is more sensual, more in line with the film. Even in the lyrics, we changed 'Tumhe apna banane ki kasam khayi hai' to 'Tumhe apna banane ka junoon sar pe hai'. Lyricist Rashmi Virag and I reworked it to make it work for the film and give something new because I don't think anyone of my age gives any kasam to anyone that main tumse pyaar karta hoon. Love in today's time has also changed. No one is really going gung to kill themselves for love unless they are psychotic. Relationships have become chilled. This song is about the obsession to make you mine, so that's why we made it 'Junoon sar pe hai, kab se hai'.
Whenever you've covered a song, you've reworked it like you did with Tere Bin Nahi Laage (Ek Paheli Leela).
That's been my focus. After I did Tere Bin Nahi Laage, lots of people came to me and said, 'Let's recreate 10 songs.' I said I don't want to recreate unless I can do justice. Even this song, I was very wary of doing. I told Bhushan (Kumar) sir that it's been such a legendary song that your father and Nadeem Shravan had done, I cannot do it if it's not good. 'If I make something shit, please don't accept it,' I told him. It was a tradition they followed. They covered Aaj Phir Tum Pe from Dayavan in Hate Story 2, so they felt Hate Story 3 should also have one song which is a classic recreated.
How did the song happen?
Bhushan sir called me one night from Spain and told me about it. I had never even heard the song. I grew up with songs like Tujhe Dekha Toh (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) and then started hearing RD Burman but I missed out the early 90s - Deewana, Darr and Baazigar. He said that it was the biggest song of that era. don't listen to it for more than two minutes otherwise you will make it dated. He wanted my approach on this. So I made new verses and that's how we made Tumhe Apna. Even Neeti Mohan is someone I have collaborated with for the first time through this song. She has done a fabulous job. She was also hesitant. She was like, 'I have sung happy songs.' On Tumhe Apna Banane, I made her sing completely baritone. I made her sing like a sensuous goddess. She evoked a voice she never knew she had.
What do you think of this trend of recreating songs?
If I don't get my angle to the song even in a recreation, there's no point in recreating. You should just make a remix. I am loving the originals I am doing but if there's a song I am told to recreate and I can't newness to it, then what's the point? Then, it's better to use the original. One song in this genre I really loved is Chirantan Bhatt's Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta (Boss), that's a real recreation.
How important is social media for composers these days?
I have got quite a decent following since my first film. For that, I have to credit Salman (Khan) sir because when I was announced as his music director (for Jai Ho), immediately his fans and people my age started following me. Slowly, with my music coming out - Sooraj Dooba Hain (Roy), Saiyaan Superstar and Tere Bin Nahi Laage (Ek Paheli Leela), Naina (Khoobsurat), Chaar Shanivaar (All Is Well) and the single Chal Wahan Jaate Hain sung by Arijit Singh, every song started winning its own kind of audience.
What are you looking forward to?
I am composing six songs for the biopic on M S Dhoni and four songs for Akshay Kumar-starrer Airlift. There are also songs in Baaghi, Kapoor & Sons, Sanam Re, Mastizaade, Junooniyat, Rocky Handsome and Tum Bin 2.