Coolie No 1 song 'Husnn Hai Suhaana': Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan light up this sparkling remake

Remixes and remakes might be here to stay, but producers and composers are at least finding new ways to keep them interesting. David Dhawan's upgrade of his 1995 comedy Coolie No 1 features a reboot of the cult number 'Husn Hai Suhana'.

The latest version of song retains all the musicality and pep of the original but is enhanced by some tempo changes.

One of the trickier aspects of remaking an old song is getting the vibe right through the choreography, especially if it is a Govinda number. There are few performers who can embody the natural grace and charm that the actor exuded in his prime. Varun Dhawan comes close with his impish personality but lacks the natural moves.

Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan have good chemistry. Both look good and dance fairly well, although it is Dhawan who takes centrestage. The visuals capture the essence of the story in which Dhawan's conman character romances both the leading ladies of the film, Khan and Shikha Talsania, who makes a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the song. 

The music is, for the lack of another word, fresh. Bagchi has retained the spirit of Anand-Milind's original composition, altering only the tempo. Mercifully, there is no rap section or obnoxious tinkering with the pitch. The only addition is the break and variation in percussion patterns.

Bagchi does well to keep the rhythm and style as close as possible to the original, which successfully evokes nostalgia. Sadly, he could do nothing about the garish gold decor and saturated colours that dominate the visuals. 

Coolie No 1 is set to be released on Amazon Prime Video on 25 December. Watch the song below and let us know if you are keen to watch the film.