When the song 'Ek Do Teen' from the film Tezaab came out in 1988, item numbers weren't really a thing. Well, now they are! And the latest version of 'Ek Do Teen', which was made legendary by Saroj Khan's choreography and Madhuri Dixit's graceful dance movements, is more in the 'Chikni Chameli' (Agneepath) zone than the original it tries to pay tribute to. You can also see shades of 'Jumma Chumma' from Hum (1991) as the crowd holds their mugs and cheers along.
Mind you, Jacqueline Fernandez is a brilliant dancer, and rocks all the steps with loads of confidence. Choreographer Ganesh Acharya does well to incorporate some of the iconic dance steps and Fernandez executes them well. Showing off her toned abs and having tons of fun while doing it, Fernandez gives her best.
Obviously, nobody can emulate Dixit's brilliant expressions and dancing prowess. So this item song version is definitely disappointing. And unfortunately, when the original is as iconic and fresh in our minds as this one, it's tough to accept a rehash.
We are glad though that Shreya Ghoshal was chosen to recreate the song, and as she mostly does, Ghoshal adds her own vocal charm to a track, originally sung by Alka Yagnik.
Music composer Sandeep Shirodkar adds a few extra beats, some whistles and the 'Mohini' chants that come in intermittently to give it an extra zing, while maintaining the melody created by Laxmikant Pyarelal.
Expect this track to be the next dance floor hit, after remixes of tracks like 'Tamma Tamma' and 'Tu Cheez Badi', which became instant party favourites last year. And that's only because the music composer did not completely ruin the flavour of the original.
But did we really need this rehash? Weren't we happy enough dancing to the beats of the original?
Watch the new 'Ek Do Teen' here: