5 Homegrown Producers Who Are Breathing New Life Into Hits From Classic Indian Cinema
L: DJ Priyanka R: ANSICK

5 Homegrown Producers Who Are Breathing New Life Into Hits From Classic Indian Cinema

I love a good remix — It's a bold endeavour when artists see something that's already perfect and think, "I can make it better." Our favourite tracks stick with us because they imprint upon our minds their unique sonic effect that in some way resonates with us. A well-made remix elevates that effect and contemporizes it in a new context; which is most often a new genre. There was a time not too long ago when Western TikTok trends, with their music, would trickle down to popular reels in India. But lately there's been a reverse osmosis of Hindi and regional Indian music that has clutched the spotlight online, whether it's Main Gira Hoya Banda, cheeky Bhojpuri tracks or soundtracks from popular Indian films.

In this new territory, artists have embraced looking at homegrown classics with a new fondness, trying to cleanse ourselves of the colonial cultural cringe we were prone to previously in perceiving our 'desi-ness'. New remixes or 'flips' of hits from Indian cinema, especially the 90s and 2000s' Golden era of Bollywood music pioneered by artists like Pritam, KK, AR Rehman, Salim-Sulaiman etc., have been taking over the internet. If you find yourself riding this new wave of refurbished old classics as well, here are some homegrown DJs and Producers crafting remixes that perfectly capture our love for the Indian film and music industry through the lens of contemporary electronic music.

1. Ansick


Ansh Prateek, known as ANSICK, is a Delhi-based artist with an impressive 11-year legacy in music production and 5 years as a skilled DJ renowned for his expertise in commercial, EDM, house, and techno. His Bollytech Folder series transforms our favourite Bollywood hits into club anthems effortlessly, remixing them with house, tech-house, and melodic techno, resulting in a remarkable discography of Indohouse music.

2. Kabu

KABU, a young DJ and producer from New Delhi with Kashmiri roots, infuses his music with the soul of Indian cinema, creating inventive rhythms in his tracks. As a multifaceted artist, KABU bridges sound design, music, and technology which you can get a glimpse of in his reels where he breaks down how he flips these tracks. His performances blend Indian contemporary styles with house music while maintaining his signature "filmy" style.

3. Jayhaan, Mukt & InteRRupter

Jayhaan, Mukt & InteRRupter are three artists that are part of a music production studio called Ghelo. This trio has been an unrelenting source of incredible mixes through their collaborative series Shipment with 6 editions of Hindi classics mixed with Amapiano, House, Drum n Bass, Bounce, GQOM & Bailé Funk. Taking a separate path from the club banger-style of remixes, their series highlights how versatile Indian music can be if you've got the vision.

4. DJ Priyanka

Priyanka Vigneswaran is a multi-hyphenate creative from Los Angeles with roots in Sri Lankan Tamil culture. But you might know her from her viral India-mapiano set that reimagines South Asian and Bollywood hits through the South African subgenre. Raised with a deep appreciation for Tamil music and dance, Priyanka's pandemic-induced career shift led her to embrace DJing. Her sets seamlessly create warm, eclectic variations of Hindi and Tamil tracks in genres like amapiano, Bailé Funk, R&b, alternative etc.

5. Farooq Got Audio

Farooq is a Pakistani music producer, composer, and artist based in London who has been supplying us with some of the most popular remix audios on Instagram. He is actually one of the first artists who spearheaded this movement and is renowned for introducing a fresh sound to the South Asian music scene with his hip-hop, drill & trap remakes of classic and understated Bollywood tracks.

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