Funnily, British rock groups seem to be have been a hot favourite among desi music composers — Queen’s We Will Rock You, which just featured in Bohemian Rhapsody being the latest example.
Guitar riffs, bass, drums and the raw sound of rock may be a niche in Bollywood yet but that hasn’t stopped from composers here from plagiarising tunes from international bands in the genre. Funnily, British rock groups seem to be have been a hot favourite among desi music composers — Queen’s We Will Rock You, which just featured in Bohemian Rhapsody being the latest example. Before the biopic on the band and its frontman Freddie Mercury, here are the five times when rock songs were taken to the Bollywood abattoir, butchered and made palatable for film music buffs.
Ek Naam Naam Hai Rocky, Aflatoon
From: We Will Rock You by Queen
What was more jarring in the track? The shrill chorus, ‘We love, we love Rocky’ sung by Roopkumar Rathod to the tune of the iconic song or the kitsch jingling-jangling music? We truly owe the I Want To Break Free hitmakers an apology for this excuse of a song created by Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen, which had an equally cringe-worthy video. Maybe the musicians foresaw this atrocity and wrote, ‘Mud on your face, big disgrace’ for the Bollywood edition.
Akele Hain (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak)
From: Return To The Alamo by The Shadows
One of the most romantic tracks in Bollywood was a lazy recreation of the Brit instrumental rock band that kick-started its career in 1958 (do check out their number Apache, too). From the riffs to lead, there’s a striking resemblance that even a tone-deaf person will instantly recognise. For what it’s worth, the ballad is hummable.
Mere Rang Mein, Maine Pyar Kiya
From: Final Countdown by Europe
Raamlaxman went all the way to Sweden to pick this one up. Glam metal, hard rock and blues rock band Europe’s Final Countdown was a nod to David Bowie’s Space Oddity and about leaving for Venus. But in the movie, it was an ode by Salman Khan to Bhagyashree when she tries an itsy-bitsy dress gifted by him. Another movie that had multiple duplications. Aate Jaate from Stevie Wonder’s I Just Called and the intro of Aaya Mausam Dosti Ka from Baltimora’s Tarzan Boy apart from this one.
Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
From: Pinball Wizard by The Who
Remember the part, ‘jo sab karte hain yaaron...’ one minute into the song? The following lines should have been, ‘woh kyun hum na karein?’ as Jatin-Lalit did what their colleagues were doing and cocked a snook at the Brit band The Who as they stole their tune from rock opera album Tommy (1969). However, it’s not as shoddy a job as some other copies (hint: Aaya hoon yaaron).
Aisa Zakham Diya Hai, Akele Hum Akele Tum
From: Child in Time by Deep Purple
Two-minute silence for the mutilation of an awesome track by the legendary '70s English rockers, Deep Purple. The intro of the Hindi version, ‘Aaya hoon yaaron, dil apna deke...’ has shamelessly been borrowed from the track based on the Cold War. This soundtrack by Anu Malik actually takes the cake for its appalling number of ‘inspired’ tunes. Raja Ko Rani Se from The Godfather’ (theme composed by Nino Rita and Speak Softly, Love rendered by Andy Williams), Dil Mera Churaya Kyun is Last Christmas by George Micheal’s band Wham! in an alternate reality.
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