Veteran music composer Jantin Pandit expressed disappointment over the recreated version of his 1998 hit song Aankhon Se Tune. The remake version, produced by Lijo George, opens with a fresh verse by Dev Negi and Palak Muchhal before transitioning into Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik's original vocals.
On his YouTube channel, Jatin Pandit shared that the remake version featuring Raghav Juyal and Niharika NM has changed the essence of the original song entirely. “I recently came across the remix of Aankhon Se Tune and realised it had over 23 million views. Then I realised this was our song from Ghulam. The original album had six songs, and every one of them was created with a lot of honesty and creativity,” he said.
While he acknowledged the recreated version's massive popularity, he believed that its quick arrangement, dance sequences, and new opening verse took away from the simplicity that made the original number timeless. “As a composer, I didn't like the remix because this is not a dancing song. It's a moderate song with a moderate rhythm and movement. By increasing the tempo and density and adding a dance beat, its character has changed.”
Clarifying that his criticism was not directed at the performers, Jatin added, “The boy has danced very well and the girl has also done a good job. There is nothing wrong with their performance. But I felt their body movements were louder than the song itself.”
Talking about the original composition, he shared, “This is a very youthful and honest composition. There is no cheating in it. It came straight from the heart.
“The original composition was complete by itself. When you add something new to it, it's like adding yellow to the violet colours of a peacock's feather. It doesn't make it more beautiful; it looks like a patch,” he said.
He said he believed the “soul” of the song went in one direction while the arrangement in the remix somewhere else. “When a painting is already complete and appreciated, adding more colours to it doesn't make it more beautiful. It can spoil the painting instead,” he said.
Further comparing the experience with someone changing a child lovingly raised by its parents, he added, “It's like raising a child with love, grooming them in your own way, and then someone else takes that child, changes his hairstyle, clothes, and appearance, and presents them to the world. As parents, you wouldn't like that. That's how I feel about this remix.”
Despite his criticism, Jatin shared that the song was fitting for the younger generation that connected with the remix version better. He also admitted that it saddened him that most of the younger listeners enjoying the remix version may not even know who created the original track.