Anuradha Paudwal says remixes of her songs horrify her, cites Arijit Singh’s Aaj Phir Tum Pe recreation: ‘I want to cry’

Paudwal, one of the most successful singers of her times, tells indianexpress.com that the only time she sincerely listens to her own songs, including her bhajans, is when she comes across remixed version of her tracks.

“I do sometimes listen to my own songs, not a lot, but when I do, I listen to devotional ones. But you know when I listen to them? When there is a remix and I am horrified and I want to cry– that is when I immediately, without fail, I put to my own songs and listen to them! That, ‘Oh wow, well now this is such a good song,’ the singer tells indianexpress.com.

Giving an example of a remix that jolted her, Paudwal said she was “moved to tears” when she heard the recreated version of Aaj Phir Tum Pe Pyaar Aaya Hai from Dayavan. Starring Vinod Khanna and Madhuri Dixit, the song was originally composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and sung by Paudwal and Pankaj Udhas. The recreated track was sung by Arijit Singh and Samira Koppikar, with music by Arka for the erotic thriller Hate Story 2.

“That had happened when someone asked me to listen to this (remix) from Dayavan (Aaj Phir Tum Pe). That person told me it is a super-duper hit track and sent it to me. I was in tears when I heard it, I immediately switched to YouTube and heard my original song from the film multiple times. Tab jaake mere mann mein shaanti aayi (Finally I found peace).”

The singer, who completes 50 years of her musical career, recently launched ‘Gift of Sound’ initiative under her Suryodaya Foundation. The initiative aims to restore hearing capacities among schoolchildren from BMC-run schools in the city. Paudwal says her idea is to help those experience sound, who grew up without it.

“This is my 50th year in music, so I wanted to give back through social service. I have taken up this cause to do screening pan-India of various children from government schools. We started in Bhubaneshwar, where we did the screening, and donated hearing aids to 250 children. Sound has given so much to me, so I thought in my 50th year, why not gift sound to those who don’t have it,” she adds.

After delivering consecutive hits in the 90s, Paudwal eventually slowed down her film playback singing and switched to Bhajans. Today, she says people ask her if she will sing for more Bollywood songs and she has a clear answer ready– only if she is offered songs of the quality she used to sing.

“When I switched to Bhajans, thanks to God’s blessings, my songs would play everywhere. It was a divine thing to have happened, it was a complete revolution. By nature, also I have always been spiritual, so this shift didn’t make me feel bad or anything. People till today ask me, ‘But why don’t you sing more (film) song?’ But I have experienced great highs and sung really top-quality songs… If I get something of that level, then yes why not. But I don’t crib.”