MUMBAI: The trend of remakes is not restricted to cinema but also expands to music. The nineties were particularly prolific in this respect as they remixed many classic songs with new riffs.  Here are some reimagined vintage melodies that pay homage to the retro charm of the originals with a contemporary zest.

An overview:

Pehla Nasha 2.0

In the Valentine week, rekindle memories of a lovelorn Aamir Khan in 1992's  love anthem 'Pehla Nasha' (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar) with the newly released video 'Pehla Nasha 2.0’. The song that became a cult hit thanks to Jatin Lalit's music, Majrooh Sultanpuri's lyrics and the vocals of Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam   has now been been reimagined in a fresh new avatar. Sung beautifully by Armaan Malik and Pragati Nagpal, composed by Amaal Mallik and penned by Rashmi Virag, the song tugs at the heartstrings of a new generation of listeners with compelling instrumentation It has been released by Saregama and its romance-steeped video features Abhay Verma and Pragati Nagpal.

Gori Hai Kalaiyan

When Bappi Lahiri tuned 'Gori Hai Kalaiyan' for the Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Prada starrer 'Aaj Ka Arjun' in 1990, he took music lovers by surprise. This folksy melody was a far cry from the pop and disco tunes that had made him famous in the eighties and nineties. Now the song comes full circle with fresh new beats in the 2025 film 'Mere Husband Ki Biwi'.  Produced by Jjust Music, the song features Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, and Rakul Preet Singh, with vocals by Badshah, Kanika Kapoor, Sharvi Yadav, and IP Singh. The updated version does full justice to the original's soulfulness while updating it with modern instrumentation, making it a fresh yet nostalgic experience.

O Sajna

Neha Kakkar is known to revisit old favourites and with 2022's 'O Sajna', she interpreted Falguni Pathak's 1999 superhit 'Maine Payal Hai Chhankai' with additional lyrics and techno riffs. The result may not have appealed to the fans of Pathak’s uncomplicated version but the video has so far garnered over 18,203,403 views and counting.  The song stars Neha Kakkar, Priyank Sharma and Dhanashree Verma, penned by Jaani and tuned by Tanishk Bagchi. The track is produced by  T-Series.

Hawa Hawai 2.0

When Vidya Balan was offered the chance to dance to Mr India's (1987) iconic dance track, 'Hawa Hawai' in 2017's feminist film 'Tumhari Sulu', she was delighted. The peppy new version picturised on Balan, Neha Dhupia and an ensemble cast celebrated the free-spirited magic of the original by retaining Kavita Krishnamurthy's voice and Laxmikant-Pyarelal 's classic tune. Additional vocals by Shashaa Tirupati, re-creation/programming by Tanishk Bagchi and timeless lyrics by Javed Akhtar make this version irresistible. The track has been produced by T-Series.   

Dus Bahane 2.0

In 2005, Vishal Shekhar's irresistible track 'Dus Bahane' for the espionage film 'Dus' topped the charts. The party anthem sung by K K and Shaan is still a huge hit in retro shows. In 2020, the song was remixed for the film 'Baaghi 3'. Vishal Shekhar retained the lyrics by Panchhi Jalonvi and the new version features the voices of the late KK and Shaan with Tulsi Kumar. A large number of fans however have overwhelmingly chosen the original over the new version despite its updated choreography and the presence of Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor. The track has been produced by T-Series.