Entertainment Desk, Mumbai: The early 2000s remix boom in India was marked by bold visuals, groovy beats, and unforgettable faces. One song that truly defined that era was Kaanta Laga, featuring Shefali Jariwala as a daring party girl—a portrayal that not only turned her into an overnight sensation but also sparked controversy at the time. Now, over two decades later, the song’s directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru have opened up about the intense backlash the music video received, both from the Censor Board and from Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. In a recent interview, the director duo revealed that they were summoned by the Censor Board, which expressed disapproval over the video's provocative content. “Shefali was shown watching adult content, and that didn’t go down well,” they said. The board issued a warning to the filmmakers, pushing them to reconsider the tone of their future projects. Vinay Sapru also recalled a personal warning from Salman Khan, who advised them against making such “sexy” content. “A big actor called us to his house and said, ‘Main tumhe samjha raha hoon Radhika Vinay, yeh jo sexy kaam hai kam kiya karo, achha nahi hota,’” Sapru shared. When pressed, the duo confirmed that the actor was Salman Khan himself. Ironically, it was Salman who unknowingly inspired the remix revolution. The directors shared that the idea behind remix videos like Kaanta Laga, Kaliyon Ka Chaman, and Chadti Jawani came when they saw Salman exercising to a Jhankaar Beats remix of a Kishore Kumar song. “The sound reminded us of a nightclub. That led us to experiment with sensual visuals paired with retro melodies,” they explained. Kaanta Laga originally featured in the 1971 film Samadhi, composed by R.D. Burman and starring Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Asha Parekh. The remixed version appeared on the T-Series album DJ Doll, with Shefali Jariwala fronting the video that made her a household name overnight. Despite the initial criticism, the song and its visual style marked a turning point in Indian pop culture, igniting a remix trend that redefined the music video scene in the early 2000s.
0 Comments