As Masakali 2.0 faces flak from music lovers, Delhi-6 director Mehra slams makers of reprised version for ‘destroying’ original song
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; April 10, 2020)

Such is the love for the Delhi-6 song that a decade since its release, fans vividly remember Sonam K Ahuja dancing to Masakali with a pigeon on her head. It’s hardly surprising then that the reprised version, Masakali 2.0 — featuring Sidharth Malhotra and Tara Sutaria, and recreated by Tanishk Bagchi — has drawn criticism from all quarters. A R Rahman, usually a man of few words, too indicated his displeasure as he urged music lovers to listen to the original gem.

mid-day reached out to Delhi-6 director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who revealed that coincidentally, he was writing about Masakali in his biography when word of the remix reached him. “I have dedicated half a page in the chapter to Masakali,” he says.

The filmmaker asserts it is disrespectful to revisit a song without seeking the permission of the creators. “When I meet Bhushan [Kumar, chairman, T-Series], I will tell him that they need to consult the creators. Otherwise, people will keep destroying our original work. Rahman, Prasoon [Joshi, lyricist] and I have spent days creating the song. It is [the equivalent of] a publisher rewriting a classic, [adding] gibberish to it, only because he has the rights to the book.”

Lyricist Prasoon Joshi, who coined the term ‘Masakali’, laments, “The word is not part of any language. I tried to infuse meaning in it through imagery. These things are created with heart, so when they are re-used for commercial purposes, it is sad.”

Meanwhile, Adil Sheikh, who directed the latest number, says, “The intention was not to hurt anyone. The song was made only to refresh the listeners’ memories.”