Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; May 16, 2017)

Urmila Matondkar will come out of her self-imposed hibernation on Thursday to launch the new version of the Lakdi Ki Kaathi track from her 1983 film, Masoom. The iconic children’s track is being reprised in Ruchi Narain’s animation flick, Hanuman Da Damdaar, which has Salman Khan, Kunal Kemmu, Raveena Tandon and Chunky Pandey doing voice-overs.

Written by Gulzar with music by RD Burman, the original was sung by a bunch of kids. The rehashed version has been composed by Abhishek Arora and crooned by a few child singers.

Ruchi, who scripted Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005) and directed Kal – Yesterday And Tomorrow (2005), says she was initially apprehensive about approaching Urmila to unveil the song. “To my surprise, she agreed. Both the film and song are special to her.”

Ruchi recalls how Urmila had offered help to her, a complete stranger, when she once faced ticket issues at the Mumbai airport. “She came to my rescue as a co-passenger even though she did not know who I was.”

Urmila has been away from the scene since long and secretly tied the knot with Kashmiri model- turned-businessman Mohsin Akhtar Mir in March 2016.