It is always a difficult task to remake a popular track. The music director always faces a dilemma: how much of the original to retain? Striking that balance is always the most difficult.
Music director Sandeep Shirodkar was entrusted with the task of recreating the 'Tan Tana Tan' track from the Salman Khan hit Judwa (1997), for the remake Judwaa 2 starring Varun Dhawan. The original song was written by Dev Kohli and Anu Malik had scored the music with Abhijeet Bhattacharya and Poornima lending their voices.
Shirodkar has fared poorly in the remake, churning out an uninspiring track. He has tried to give it a more pop-rock feel, and it all seems to be going well for the opening 20 seconds till you hear the familiar chorus, ‘Aankh ladake toone maara, ghayal ho gaya dil bechara.’ The chorus is subdued and the voices don't hook you. Lead singer Dev Negi sounds flat. There is no energy in his singing. At best you can describe the effort as academic.
The extended version will give us a better idea of Negi and Neha Kakkar’s effort plus how Shirodkar has scored the entire track. But going by the evidence of the one-minute-forty-second teaser, Shirodkar and team haven't done justice to the Anu Malik chartbuster.
The choreography is not great either, with overenthusiasm getting the better of Dhawan. While it is true that the original, too, did not have any great dance moves, it was Salman Khan’s abundant energy that made 'Tan Tana Tan' such a joyful track to watch.
The lone bright spot in the remake is Jacqueline Fernandez with her easy moves, particularly when grooving to the 'Tan Tana Tan' beat. Taapsee Pannu seems overloaded with make-up and her smile appears exaggerated.
Those who have seen the original will not find the 'Chalti Hai Kya 9 Se 12' track entertaining. Nevertheless, watch the new and old below and draw your own conclusion: