Lata Mangseshkar bashes Atif Aslam for his rendition of Chalte Chalte

While remakes of old classics are taking the Bollywood industry by storm, the rendition of Chalte Chalte by Atif Aslam for Mitron was an utter disappointment. Lata Mangeshkar – the singer of the original version – hasn’t heard Atif’s rendition but was quick to share her discontent on the remix, reported the Indian Express.

Initially featured in the 1972 Bollywood classic, Pakeezah, Chalte Chalte was picturised on Meena Kumari. It is a tune that people still hum to this day. On the contrary, the new version ofChalte Chalte strips the song of its true essence and fails to leave goosebumps.

Speaking of the remix, Lata said, “I don’t want to hear it. This trend of remixing old songs saddens me. Where is the creativity in simply lifting acknowledged, beloved classics and shuffling the notes around? I’ve even heard that the lyrics are changed in the remixes. By whose consent? The original poets and composers wrote what they had to. Nobody has the right to tamper with the creativity of these great composers and lyricists.”

Indian singer and politician Babul Supriyo is no fan of Atif’s singing either. He stated, “Today, even the poetic term ‘artistic liberty’ is at the verge of extinction. With due respect to Atif Aslam, as a singer myself, I will observe a two-minute silence to mourn rather than offer a comment.”