I have failed!
Sunidhi Chauhan feels that her version of 'Yeh mera dil' from Don is not a worthy successor to the original by Asha Bhosle
Subhash K Jha
It was a big moment in Sunidhi Chauhan's life when she got the opportunity to sing Asha Bhosle's classic 'Yeh mera dil' from Don. But, the actress was not happy with the outcome and even wanted to re-do the song.
"My version of 'Yeh mera dil' can't hold a candle to Ashaji's original, there is no thinking otherwise. If you look at the original song, situation and dancing ,everything was superb. No one can replicate the original 'Yeh mera dil'. We weren't even trying to do so and did the song in a completely different way. But I failed. I sang the song according to the requirement of the scene. I wanted to infuse charm into this low-key number, but I couldn't."
Disappointed with the outcome, Sunidhi wanted to re-do the song. "I didn't make that request though I wanted to. See, we never set out to be one-up on Don. In fact, the old version is to this day fresh and contemporary. I was so thrilled when I got to record a song that I have been singing on stage since my childhood. To do one of Ashaji's best tracks was a great challenge. I decided I'd give my best to the song. But I was bound by the character and situation. Which is fine because there's a special challenge in singing within a character. When I sang 'Yeh mera dil' I found it lacking in intensity That's okay. Eminent scientists make mistakes. Who am I? Frankly I'm neither happy nor disappointed."
Why has she cut down on her singing? "Not at all! I'm singing two to three songs every day. There was a series of chartbusters from me followed by a lull. But now I've sung a love ballad for Ismail Durbar's in an English-language film called Interminable. It's a semi-classical song. Then I've sung for a non-film album with Ustad Sultan Khan called Ustad & The Divas with songs composed by Sandesh Shandilya. I wish some of my ballads were as successful as the brisk numbers. They clicked in an earlier era. But I'm lucky to be getting and being accepted in both kinds of songs," she says.
Why is she so low-profile these days? "You'll never catch me at parties and music launches. As long as people are happy with my work I don't need to be visible," says Sunidhi.
• If you look at the original song, situation and dance, it was superb. No one can replicate the original 'Yeh mera dil' — Sunidhi
Anupamaa
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