Composer Harsh Upadhyay recreated the popular song from Mukul S. Anand’s incomplete 1997 film Dus — Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walo — for Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor’s Street Dancer 3D. The song, originally composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, was shot at the Attari border for the January 24 release.We caught up with Harsh for a chat.

What made you recreate Suno Gaur Se?

The film was released around January 26 and the cast had an opportunity to perform at the Attari border on Republic Day in 2019. Hence, director Remo D’Souza sir decided to use Suno Gaur Se for the performance and because it (Street Dancer 3D) is a dance extravaganza we had to give a modern touch to the epic original track. So the track was given to me.

How was it making Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy croon to their own tune?

Honestly, they are legends and this track composed by them back then was a huge hit. So I only had to tweak it a little bit to make the dance version for the film.

What do you have to keep in mind as a composer when you’re recreating an already popular track?

The only principle I believe in whenever I have to recreate an original song is that the essence should be intact along with the touch of modern sound. Since it is a dance film, I had to use sounds that make it a good dance number and at the same time revives the original essence too. And the song was picturised at the Attari border... Yes, the song was shot at the Attari border on January 26, 2019, with Varun and the other cast members. Fortunately, the track was released for the audience to enjoy on the same day, January 26, this year.

What was Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s feedback to your recreation?

I have always admired Shankar sir’s work and style of singing. Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walo is a legendary song and garnered appreciation and love back then. So I had lots of emotions running while recreating the song. It was an experience in itself and a huge honour for me. Each singer has a unique style of singing and this song was recorded in three languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu — by Shankar sir, so we all brought our brilliance to the table.

Aren’t you afraid of criticism from people who are fans of the original?

Criticism will always prevail, be it good or bad. But before making this track I had a clear thought in my mind to not harm the original feel of the song and at the same time make it more interesting for the audience of this generation.

When do you think this fad of recreating classics would end?

I think we artistes create art to entertain our audience, so as long as the audience is loving the recreated tracks, this will continue. But at the same time, I believe in producing original tracks and recreated ones without killing the vibe of the original version.