Ila Arun on Crew's Choli Ke Peeche remake: I'd have appreciated if I was asked beforehand

Actor-singer Ila Arun’s two classic songs- single Ghagra and Choli Ke Peeche from Khalnayak (1993) were recently recreated for Crew. While the renditions have gotten mixed reactions, the veteran singer is a bit confused. “Some people are telling me to be grateful that the song has been recreated and this generation is loving it. But I am confused, whether to feel happy and proud or not as aesthetically, I am not able to digest it. Younger generation ko pasand hai, mujhe nahi,” she says.

Arun went on to say that the original Choli Ke Peeche was done artistically. She adds, “It was like an answer to the teasing by men who would ask ‘Choli ke peeche kya hai’. It was about telling them to look beyond the obvious. But the newer version has a captain’s announcement in the starting saying, ‘Your captain speaking, please tighten your choli’. I don’t like it. When you destroy the ambiguity and mystery of the song, that turns vulgar.”

The 70-year-old was informed that her songs have been recreated for Crew on a shockingly short notice. “My terms with the recording company are very good. But I was just told 5 minutes before the release that they need my blessing. I don’t have the rights to Choli Ke Peeche, but Ghagra is my intellectual property, I would have appreciated if I was asked beforehand. They could have called me; I would have sung and given a few suggestions.”

While her songs have been recreated, Arun hasn’t been given royalty or any kind of payment. “Maine bas blessing di hai. I will ask them later, but I am not the only individual there. There should be transparency. If there is a recreation, there should be royalty and payment. If royalty would be given, artists would appreciate it. Bahut artists to bhookhe mar rahe hain. I took it lightly because I am still confused. Ab na royalty pata, na loyalty pata. But it scares me that with the AI and no copyright, artist to mar hi jayega,” she ends.