Bell Bottom song 'Sakhiyaan 2.0': Tanishk Bagchi and Manindar Buttar's heavily modified remake fails to hit the mark

Music production houses can't seem to let go of an opportunity to remix a song. More often than not, the task falls to Tanishk Bagchi. The composer now teams up with Manindar Buttar for a remix of Buttar's original 2018 song 'Sakhiyaan'. The song, 'Sakhiyaan 2.0', is sung by Buttar and Zara Khan, with additional music by Bagchi.

The visuals of the song revolve around the romance between the characters of Akshay Kumar and Vaani Kapoor in Ranjit M Tewari's film Bell Bottom (2021). Oddly though, the visuals see the couple wearing modern clothes though the film is said to be set in the late 1970s-early 1980s. Perhaps this is one of those songs that only feature in promotions or the final credits. Limited to a montage of touristy locations with minimal choreography, the number does not have a lot going for it visually.

Bagchi and Buttar do not add a whole lot musically either. The original song has a lot more harmony, albeit with an infused techno addition. The remixed version is rather fast-paced, up-tempo with the beats dominating the vocals. Bagchi and Buttar seem to have sacrificed the harmony for energy, which has not resulted in the best outcome.

While Buttar's vocals are just about the same as in the original, it is Zara Khan's voice that feels a touch too modified. The heavy modulation on the voice makes it sound almost electronic, robotized. It robs the composition, and the vocalists, of their natural harmony.

Regardless, Saregama Music might have been more focused on pulling the views from the already popular Punjabi number. The addition of this song to Akshay Kumar's film will only result in mutually beneficial commerce. The music remains an afterthought.

Bell Bottom, which also stars Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Huma Qureshi and Adil Hussain, is set to be released in theatres across India on 19 August.