Sitar virtuoso Purbayan Chatterjee has shared his views on the debate around remixes and recreated songs, saying that not every reimagined track should be labelled a remix. During an exclusive interaction with India TV, the musician praised composer Shashwat Sachdev’s work in Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh’s spy thriller, Dhurandhar, and highlighted the importance of balancing commercial success with artistic innocence.
Speaking about the film's music, Chatterjee said he was impressed by the way "traditional compositions" were adapted to suit the narrative of Dhurandhar.
Purbayan Chatterjee praises Dhurandhar music, says not every recreation is a remix
When asked about his take on modern-day music and remixes being made these days, Purbayan Chatterjee spoke about the music of Dhurandhar and how recreated classics were used to amplify the narratives. He told us, "I have heard Dhurandhar. I'm very proud of Shashwat Sachdev. He is a friend of mine, and he and his wife are wonderful people, and he has a lot of respect for classical music. What he has done is he has taken, in keeping with the mood of the movie, a lot of traditional compositions and given them a new lease of life, which is not really a remix."
Explaining the difference between remixes and reimagined songs, Purbayan Chatterjee said, "A remix is when you take the tune, take the arrangements, take the same harmonies and just put beats on it. Because if you change the harmonic arrangement, then it's a rearranged song. It's not if you change the BPM or the tempo, but a remix is simply sometimes people put a DJ mix so that people can dance to it."
Purbayan Chatterjee says, 'Art is not about numbers alone'
The acclaimed artist also expressed concern over the increasing tendency to recreate songs purely to capitalise on familiarity and trends. While admitting that audiences often enjoy hearing beloved melodies in a new format, he said, "Art is not about numbers alone", adding, "I've seen songs like Chura liya, which are timeless classics, and I feel that sometimes people like a familiar tune. There is certainly some artistry involved in that. However, when a remix is created purely for numbers, there can be a tendency to rely too heavily on algorithms and trends. That approach can be somewhat lazy. I can understand the perspective of recording companies, as they are focused on sales. However, it is also important to look after the interests of good art and to propagate and perpetuate good art. Art is not about numbers alone."
He further added, "That is why I feel that while we need people who are MBAs and strong on the business side of things, we also need this whole concept of A&R, artists and repertoire. These were people who were more artistically inclined. In the past, major recording companies had very capable people in A&R who could really do a great job of curating and signing the right artists so that good art was made, and that is the important thing. Once that is in place, then if an artist wants to remix a song because they can add something to it, or give it a new perspective or a new lease of life, then it is wonderful."
Purbayan Chatterjee lauds Dhurandhar's hit song Ishq Jalakar
The musician also singled out Ishq Jalakar, a track from Dhurandhar, and praised it. He lauded Sashwat Sachdev for highlighting instrumental performers and pointed out that audiences are increasingly appreciating instrumental sections in songs, many of which are finding popularity across digital platforms. He said, "The song Ishq Jalakar in Dhurandhar has become really viral. Shashwat has done a fabulous job with that, as he's added artists like Ramana Balachandhran - three cheers for instrumental music, because instrumentalists are taken for granted; they're just put, but those trends are changing if you look at Garaj Garaj or if you look at the song that Ramana played. Now the instrumental pieces are going more viral. People are not so much interested in EDM remixes of songs; they're more into instruments because they are exotic. It is interesting. It's great chemistry to see a person playing his instrument."
Purbayan Chatterjee's recent collaborations and projects
Purbayan Chatterjee is a renowned sitarist and music composer. He recently collaborated with Mark Lettieri, guitarist of the band Snarky Puppy, on the album Feathered Creatures, which was released on June 5, 2026. He has also worked closely with Farhan Akhtar on the upcoming four-part cinematic series The Beatles, helping him learn the sitar for his portrayal of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Also Read: Exclusive: Purbayan Chatterjee shares his experience of training Farhan Akhtar for The Beatles
