With more than forty years of singing experience behind her, the least Alka Yagnik expected was that the producers of Crew would inform her about the new version of her block-buster song Choli ke peeche kya hai from Khalnaayak .
But no. The legal rights of the song are with Tips Music. But what about the creative, aesthetic rights?
After some persuasion the songstress spoke. “Kya kahun about this? I have nothing to say … Yeh sab itna zyaada ho raha hai, ke ab kuchh naya ya ajeeb nahin lagta . It is gone way past disappointment or outrage. Koi nahin poochhta… Song ke rights unkey paas hotey hain, so they do whatever they want with the song”
Alka says she has reconciled herself to this creative vandalism. “It’s fine… I have learnt to take these things in my stride.Ab yeh bhi seh lenge. Lata Didi ke gaanon ka ye haal kiya hai jab , toh hum kya cheez hain(when they have done this to Lataji’s songs then who am I?)”
I remember when a singer had done a cover version of her Madan Mohan Ghazal Rasm-e-ulfat Lataji had told me, ‘Aise ganon ko toh chuna hi nahin chahiye.’
Alka agrees. “Exactly. But I don’t mind anymore. I’m in a semi-retired stage of my career now .I have stopped reacting, and have lost interest too.Honestly speaking, after my mother’s death,I have lost all inspiration and motivation .I am tired now.Right now I need a break.It’s been forty years of non-stop singing . Now I don’t feel motivated to sing. Poetic lyrics are a thing of the past.We are sadly much poorer today in terms of lyrics and melody.”
Alka isn’t comfortable singing some contemporary film songs. “ I am not comfortable singing vulgar songs and no would approach me to sing them. Romantic songs are my forte.Sadly not too many of them are being created these days.I can understand how shocked and amused Lata Didi was by the quality of music and lyrics these days.”