Rangi Saari singer Kavita Seth on recreating classics: You can’t damage the soul of a song or touch its originality

Singer Kavita Seth’s Rangi Saari from JugJugg Jeeyo was a contemporary rendition of late classical singer Shobha Gurtu’s popular Thumri Rangi Saari. Despite being a recreation, the song featuring Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani, was very well received by music lovers, something that rarely happens with remixes.

Ask Seth where the line needs to be drawn when it comes to reworking a classic, she begins by saying it should just not mess up with the soul of a song. “You see how a designer tries to accentuate a model’s look by adding accessories, different style of clothings etc, as his basic intention is to make the model look good. Similarly, with a classic, you cannot touch it’s soul. Uski ruhaaniyat damage nahi honi chaiye, uski soul khatam honi chaiye,” explains the singer.

Seth rues musician’s lack of understanding these days to do things the right way when it comes to recreations. Recalling one such incident, she narrates, “Some time back, someone made me listen to the rock version of Pyaar Ka Sagar. Poore gaane ke chitdhe udaa diye the. They wanted to know my opinion on the song, so I asked, ‘What do you want me to do – agree to everything that you say or tell you the truth?’ And when they asked for the truth, all I said was, ‘Do not do the mistake of using this song. Return this song to whoever gave it to you’. Woh jahan gaana chaahein, gaaye. Rock bhi karo, but aise nahi.”

Citing her own example, the Iktara singer says she has recreated several of her favourite songs from the past, but she always made sure that it does not lose the essence.

“I’ve reprogrammed and redesigned so many of my all-time favourite numbers. Sometimes, I even changed their poetry, but I was always clear about not taking away its originality. And that’s what we did with Rangi Saari as well,” she maintains.

Not many know that the song was initially to be taken in Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter-starrer Dhadak but underwent a journey of its own before finally being used in JugJugg Jeeyo.

Seth recalls, “When the song was first recorded and was in its initial stage, we sent it to (director) Shashank Khaitaan, who made Dhadak. His music sense is very good. As soon as he heard it, he said lock kardo, ye main Dhadak ke liye le raha hoon par Dhadak me Atul ji (Atul Gogavale) ka music tha, and he had some issues with the music label. For whatever reason, the song couldn’t become a part of that film.”