Hansal Mehta: ‘Masakali’ remake is ‘awful, ear shattering’

Mumbai, April 10 

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has reacted to the remake version of Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman’s iconic number “Masakali”, calling it “awful” and “ear shattering”. While a few cringe, somebody is laughing his way to the bank, he added.

Hansal took to Twitter, where he showed his dismay over the new version — “Masakali 2.0” — which is sung by Tulsi Kumar and Sachet Tandon, with music by Tanishk Bagchi. The number is picturised on Tara Sutaria and Sidharth Malhotra.

“This ‘recreation’ of old songs can stop if the public rejects them. The numbers on YouTube for godawful versions of old songs are huge and hence music companies keep producing them. Stop viewing the videos. Stop listening to the songs. Stop playing them at events. They will stop,” he tweeted.

He added if people stop consuming remakes, producers will stop making them.

Mehta said: “We are complicit in this bastardisation of old songs. It is seen as a small price to pay for getting your film produced. Truth: it is a travesty. It is an insult to the original creator by an ecosystem that thrives on sh*t. Stop consuming sh*t. People will stop producing sh*t.”

Without beating around the bush, the director said he was talking about the new version.

“Yes. I am reacting to the awful, ear shattering #Masakali version. But check its YouTube views in 48 hrs. Then see how DJs blast it at events. And how people groove to the godawful version. Sh*t sells. While we cringe, somebody is laughing his way to the bank,” he said.

Rahman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi had created the 2009 gem for filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s “Delhi-6”, and on Thursday joined a growing band of social media users who have conveyed their disappointment over the new number.