When Sairat released two years ago, it became the highest-grossing Marathi film of all time due to its heart-rending story, powerful performances and memorable soundtrack. Though all the songs, composed by Ajay-Atul, struck a chord with listeners, Zingaat, in particular, went on to become a monster hit.
So, when Dhadak (Sairat’s Hindi adaptation) was announced, producers Zee Studios and Karan Johar wanted the track to be retained in the film. Interestingly, Ajay-Atul were often requested by other filmmakers to give them a chartbuster like Zingaat. However, when they were asked to recreate it for Dhadak, which marks the debut of Janhvi and also features Ishaan, they were thrilled. Karan was excited to have the versatile Amitabh Bhattacharya pen the lyrics while director Shashank Khaitan was keen that Farah Khan should choreograph the track.
Zingaat will release today. Ajay Gogavale, of the composer duo Ajay-Atul, concedes that when they had composed the original track, they were sure that it would be popular in Maharashtra. He says, “It’s a sweet, gaothi (country-like) song. We were confident that because of its tune, rhythm and lyrics, it would resonate with listeners. But we had never imagined that it would transcend across the country.”
Atul Gogavale elaborates, “We had seen the response to it in theatres, where people got up from their seats and started dancing. So, we’re excited to take it to a wider audience with the Hindi version.” It was a conscious decision on their part to ensure that both the tracks had their own unique elements. Ajay says, “In the Marathi version, the intro is in English, while in the Hindi version, it’s in Rajasthani style. We’re hopeful that with the choreography, cinematography, music and Hindi lyrics, people will love it as much as the original track.”
Amitabh admits that writing the Hindi song was a challenge. He elaborates, “The original number is still fresh in people’s minds and has a cult following. It was obvious that there was no sense in replacing the word ‘Zingaat’. So, we retained it and wrote the rest of the lyrics in Hindi.” Dhadak, produced by Zee Studios, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta, releases on July 20.
