Huma Qureshi on ‘Ishq Kameena’ remake: We weren’t trying to imitate the original

Mumbai: As the makers of Baby Do Die Do unveiled the revamped version of “Ishq Kameena,” actress Huma Qureshi said they weren’t trying to imitate the original and wanted to bring their own flavour while celebrating everything that made it iconic.

The original “Ishq Kameena”, which is picturised on Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik. The track is from the film “Shakti: The Power”, which was released in 2002.

The new version features Huma and Rachit Singh. The song offers a glimpse into the crackling chemistry between the two while bringing together glamour, attitude and electrifying dance moves.

Talking about recreating the iconic track, Huma said, “When this song came to us, we were just so excited to bring it back. Ishq Kameena is massive, almost everyone has danced to it at some point and that comes with a huge responsibility.”

“We were nervous, genuinely nervous. But we weren’t trying to imitate the original. We wanted to bring our own flavour while celebrating everything that made it iconic. And having Remo sir come on board to choreograph this for us, that just made it something else. I really hope people enjoy this as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Rachit Singh added that the track is his first commercial promo Hindi song.

“And honestly, every day I have to pinch myself that this is happening. Big shoes to fill in, fingers crossed. But I’m so happy I got to do this with Huma. The energy between us just felt natural, it never felt like work. I think that comes through on screen.”

The song has been choreographed by celebrated filmmaker and choreographer Remo D’Souza, whose signature style adds a fresh visual identity to the recreation.

Speaking about choreographing the track, Remo said that when Huma’s brother Saqib Saleem came to him and said he wants to recreate ‘Ishq Kameena’ for his film, they sat down and really worked through how to get the same feeling and yet retain the original vibe.

Remo added: “When you recreate a cult song, the biggest challenge is finding the right balance between nostalgia and freshness. We wanted this version to feel contemporary without losing the spirit that made the original so memorable. Huma brought tremendous energy to the floor, and together we created something I believe audiences will have a great time watching.”

Producer Saqib Saleem said, “The idea behind recreating Ishq Kameena was to make Baby Do Die Do reach a wider audience while still retaining the core audience the film is made for. I’m really happy with how the video merges both those worlds.”

“And to have Huma and Rachit bring this to life the way they did, I couldn’t have asked for more. A big shoutout to Kumarji, our music partners Tips and Remo sir for making this happen for an independent film like ours.”

Directed by Nachiket Samant and produced by Saqib Saleem, a Saleem siblings’ production in association with Pune 04 film, Baby Do Die Do is set to release in cinemas on July 3.

The film also stars Sikandar Kher, Chunky Panday, Rachit Singh, Marudha Shekhawat, Vidya Malvade, Arun Kushwah and Himanshu Malik.

IANS