(Phir) Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

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We've had a remake of the old mile sur mera tumhara. The videos are up on youtube (links given here : 1998 Video | 2010 Video). Each is good in its own way. I especially liked the use of instruments in the new one. Here're a few of the other thoughts that crossed my mind when I watched the two videos

• Amitabh is one lucky old man to be in both the videos - to still be so much in demand. I
• 'd have liked to see the kids of the stars who were casted in the old video to have been casted in the new one. Like Sharmila Tagore was in the old one, the new one could have roped Saif in (and I'm not just saying it for his hot-bod!!), Esha could have been casted in the new one where Hemamalini was in the old one, etc.
• Unlike the old one, the new one has given Goa no airtime. In the old one was Mario Miranda, in this one? There could have been Remo or the football clubs or something else. But the lack of representation of Goa was a disappointment.
• The old one included both Tulu and Kannada in a unique combination; I'd have liked to see that in the new one too.
• Besides, we have transformed a million colours since 1988 - bringing with it new achievements and new issues. The new video could have done some justice to that. Especially on the achievements front. One saving grace, of course, was the Taj, Mumbai in the beginning of the video, representing 26/11. 
• The new video has tried to ape the old one in a few ways and has tried to reinvent itself in others, but it ends up being a celebration of urban progress and westernisation than anything else.

All in all, I think it’s a good effort, the collaborative efforts of a number of artists. Perhaps measuring it with the yard stick of the earlier video is  unjust and unfair.  There is no doubt  in the universal truth that music binds people. And our country can just never have too many songs to sing together.

Jai hind.