Jatin Pandit slams Raghav Juyal’s ‘Aankhon Se Tune’ remix: ‘It’s like adding yellow to peacock’s feather’

Music composer Jatin Pandit has expressed his disappointment with the recently released “Aankhon Se Tune 2.0” from Raghav Juyal’s Bhai Tera Star Hai, saying the recreated version changes the soul of the original song from Ghulam. While acknowledging the remix’s massive popularity, Pandit said its new arrangement, dance beat and added opening verse take away from the simplicity that made the 1998 classic timeless.The recreated track opens with a newly composed verse sung Dev Negi and Palak Muchhal before transitioning into Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik’s original vocals. Recreated Lijo George, the song has amassed over 23 million views on YouTube.
‘This is not a dancing song’
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pandit said he recently came across the remix and was surprised its popularity.
“I recently came across the remix of Aankhon Se Tune and realised it had over 23 million views. Then I realised this was our song from Ghulam. The original album had six songs, and every one of them was created with a lot of honesty and creativity.”
Recalling the original track, Pandit said it was composed with sincerity and emotion.
“This is a very youthful and honest composition. There is no cheating in it. It came straight from the heart.”However, he felt the recreated version changed the song’s identity.
“As a composer, I didn’t like the remix because this is not a dancing song. It’s a moderate song with a moderate rhythm and movement. increasing the tempo, density and adding a dance beat, its character has changed.”Story continues below this ad
Pandit clarified that his criticism was not directed at the performers.
“The boy has danced very well and the girl has also done a good job. There is nothing wrong with their performance. But I felt their body movements were louder than the song itself.”
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‘The original composition was complete’
One of Pandit’s biggest objections was the newly added opening verse before the song transitions into the original melody sung Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik.Story continues below this ad
“The original composition was complete itself. When you add something new to it, it’s like adding yellow to the violet colours of a peacock’s feather. It doesn’t make it more beautiful; it looks like a patch.”
He said the recreated arrangement moves away from the emotion of the original composition.
“The soul of the song goes in one direction, while the arrangement in the remix goes somewhere else.”
Using another analogy, he compared the recreation to altering a finished painting.Story continues below this ad
“When a painting is already complete and appreciated, adding more colours to it doesn’t make it more beautiful. It can spoil the painting instead.”
He also likened the remix to someone changing a child lovingly raised its parents.
“It’s like raising a child with love, grooming them in your own way, and then someone else takes that child, changes the hairstyle, clothes and appearance, and presents them to the world. As parents, you wouldn’t like that. That’s how I feel about this remix.”
‘It’s old wine in a new bottle’
Despite his criticism, Pandit said he understood why the remix had become so popular.Story continues below this ad
“Why did the remix get so many views? It’s the same old wine in a new bottle. The bottle is new, so the younger generation connects with it. But the strength lies in the original composition because it was already so strong.”
He also praised the decision to retain Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik’s original vocals.
“It was also a wise decision to retain Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik’s voices because they recorded the song during their prime. That’s one of the reasons why the remix has become so popular.”
At the same time, he admitted it bothered him that many younger leners may not know who created the original.Story continues below this ad
“Many people from the younger generation may not even know that Aankhon Se Tune was composed Jatin-Lalit. That is what saddens me the most.”
Jatin Pandit questions AI’s role
Pandit also suggested that technology may have played a role in recreating the song, although he acknowledged he did not know exactly how it had been produced.
“The original composition was sung Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu. The rest of the arrangement in the remix was probably done using AI. I wasn’t there, so I can’t say exactly how it was made, but it seems AI was used.”
Comparing the music-making process then and now, Pandit said today’s technology has changed how songs are created.Story continues below this ad
“People don’t realise how much hard work goes into creating a song. In those days, there was no AI. We couldn’t just type lyrics and generate a composition. Sometimes it took us days or even a week to compose a song.”
‘Respect the original’
Pandit urged remix composers to preserve the essence of classic songs instead of simply modernising them.
“I want to tell remix composers that if you’re remixing a song, find a way to improve it rather than just changing it. Someone wearing beautiful clothes doesn’t become better if you simply remove or replace them. Respect the original.”
He said he had also noticed that many leners preferred the original version.Story continues below this ad
“I have read people’s reactions online, and most of them are saying the same thing—that the original is much better.”
About Aankhon Se Tune and its remix
“Aankhon Se Tune” was originally composed Jatin-Lalit for Vikram Bhatt’s 1998 romantic drama Ghulam, starring Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji. Written Sameer and sung Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik, the rain-soaked romantic track became one of the film’s most memorable songs alongside Aati Kya Khandala.
The recreated version, “Aankhon Se Tune 2.0”, features in Bhai Tera Star Hai. Recreated Lijo George, it introduces a new opening verse sung Dev Negi and Palak Muchhal before transitioning into Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik’s original vocals with a contemporary dance-oriented arrangement.