Mid Day - Music - Cashing in on the RD magic

Seriously, folks, somebody should accurately estimate what percentage of R D Burman songs have been remixed, rearranged, rehashed or 'recreated'. Is it 40 per cent? Or 50 per cent? Or 62.3748219 per cent? God only knows!

Whatever it is, Panchamda continues to be the favourite among the remix-'n'-rehash brigade. Eight and a half years after the genius passed away, people are still cashing in on those golden hits.

Yeah, cashing in! Whether it's been Asha Bhosle's Rahul & I, Instant Karma's Dance Masti series, the Jalwas and Halwas created by Times Music, Harry Anand's UMI 10 series or hundreds of songs produced by hundreds of wannabes, RD is their first choice. Whether they use original voices or new ones, they change the songs considerably.

The latest in this Burman blast is Metalight Productions's film Dil Vil Pyar Vyar. It calls itself India's first retro-musical movie for the simple reason that it only contains RD's songs, recreated and rearranged by Bablu Chakraborty with the help of an array of contemporary singers.