‘Husn Hai Suhana’ singer Chandana Dixit: The new version is nice because it gets me to see the effect of my voice on a contemporary heroine

‘Husn Hai Suhana’s (Coolie No. 1) singer Chandana Dixit is reliving the 90s with the recreated version of the song for Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan starrer ‘Coolie No. 1’. We recently had a telephonic conversation with the playback singer where she spoke at length about the recreated version, competition in the industry and more.

When asked what differences she sees recording back then and now, Chandana said, “There was not much difference in recording the song then and now because the makers basically wanted to keep the feel and mood of the song exactly as it was. In fact, Abhijeet (Bhattacharya) ji’s voice was not changed or dubbed at all. The vocals were kept the same. It was just in my portion of the track, where in the beginning mukhda there was some bit of damage on the tape. So, I had to just re-record that much. What they actually changed in the song was mainly the music. They wanted it to sound more contemporary. So, they worked on the beats and rhythm section of the song but melody wise and the vocals of the singers were left more or less intact.”

Chandana also likes to believe it as a rebirth for her in Bollywood. “It would be interesting to work with new music composers. I also feel that now I have a whole lot more to offer. Since I got a chance to really go and train in classical and reflect during this break and also learn more about world styles,” she said.

Talking about the recreations of old songs or classics, Chandana said, “I like some of the recreations. I won’t say a lot of them. But sometimes, they are good mainly also because through this, we get to hear the old songs again. Otherwise, sometimes they just become forgotten and suddenly a new song comes and you are just reminded of the beauty of the earlier song or that such a beautiful song exists. So, sometimes I like it for a variety of different reasons. And sometimes more often than not, I don’t like them at all. So, I think it actually depends on the quality and the intent of the particular composition or piece that is recreated.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by chandana dixit (@chandana_dixit_official)

If she has to pick a version of ‘Husn Hai Suhana’, which would she prefer? To which she said, “I would still definitely go with the original, the earlier version because that was a new creation that was happening. But frankly, even the new version is still very nice, because it gets me to see the effect of my voice on a new contemporary heroine. So, both ways it’s good.”

Talking about the competition in the music industry, Chandana said, “To be honest, the industry has always been competitive. If I would to compare singers from before and now, I feel that earlier on the original qualities of the singers, their voices and personalities were more prominent and dominant. Because each one had their own way of doing and saying things. Today, I feel it has become more of a generic sound. Everybody and everything tends to sound very similar. So, it’s quite difficult to really have a very unique and individual identity. Regarding competition, it’s always been a competitive industry.”

Chandana is trained in Indian classical music and she trains students of all ages in the United States. “I am working on fusion projects with western musicians in the united states. My Indian projects have been on hold since the Covid situation happened. So, waiting for them to start,” she concluded.

Also Read: ‘Husnn Hai Suhaana’ Song: Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan bring back the 90’s party anthem with a modern twist