I want Tom Cruise to hear my remix: DJ Suketu

DJ Suketu talks to CT about why doing the official remix of ‘Kolaveri Di’ has been really stressful for him.
With so many versions of ‘Kolaveri Di’, what was the need for an official remix version?
Everybody tried to make their versions. They changed the instruments. There is a guy in the UK — Arjun — who has an R&B version. He sung it in English. Then, someone used heavy bhangra beats for his version.I feel, the beauty of the song was its simplicity. The music label and I wanted to have a version that would stick to the original, without adding any new instrument. The idea was to have a nice groove and a baseline, retain the original feel and remix it in a way so that it is fit for nightclub listening.
How challenging was it to remix this?
This was one of the most stressful remixes that I have done. The other two stressful ones were my first remix — “Pyar zindagi” — and “Woh lamhe” that marked my entry into Bollywood. This time around, I was confused all the way. Normally, other Bolly numbers are remixed before the song is released. But this time, it was different. “Kolaveri Di” was a huge hit and my only fear was that I shouldn’t mess it up. When I got the offer, I called up my wife and asked her for her opinion. I never do this for my other remixes. She told me that I should give it a try.
Yet, there are people who have told you that Suketu has done nothing to the song apart from speeding it up...
Yes, there are few who have said that they had expected something different from me. My answer to them is that this is what I wanted since I don’t wish to get predictable. It’s not easy to keep a remix version that’s simple and easy. I just added a nice bounce to it. In this song, I didn’t want to add even an extra instrument. The composer, Anirudh, had done a fantastic arrangement. I didn’t want anyone but Dhanush’s voice because he has a certain way of saying the words and singing the lines. I did share my notes with Anirudh when I did the remix. Unlike other versions that have not kept the slow “ready 1 2 3 4/whaa wat a change over maama/ok maama now tune change-u”, I have retained that bit in the remix too. I deliberately retained the slow tempo.
How much was Dhanush involved in the version?
Dhanush was busy travelling. But the track was sent to him for approval.
Recently, a Pakistani channel came up with a satire on politicians with a song called “Where is Democracy Di”? Are you aware of this song?
No. But the idea seems very catchy.
Tom Cruise grooved to your tune when he came to Mumbai while you played “Dhinka chika”, “Chammak challo” and “Sadi gali”. Any plans of making Cruise hear your remix of “Kolaveri Di”?
I played for Cruise on December 3. I got this offer around December 5. Even when I played for Cruise, I resisted the temptation of playing the original “Kolaveri”. There is a certain tempo of Hindi music that the “Mission: Impossible” cast and crew were grooving to. There was Paula Patton dancing to “Chamak challo” and I didn’t know if changing to a slower tempo number like “Kolaveri Di” would work for her and the rest. Now that I have an official remix version of “Kolaveri Di”, I will certainly try to make Cruise hear it. I could post the link on his micro blogging site to let him know about this new track. Or else, I could ask Anil Kapoor to send the word across to him.
Have you watched “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”? Anil Kapoor’s bit role has come under the scanner. Your take?
I’ve watched the movie and am a little surprised. After watching the likes of roles that Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri or even Kabir Bedi have done in the West, I am a little disappointed with Anil Kapoor’s screen length. He is such a respected actor in the film industry and had quite a big role in “Slumdog Millionaire”. His role in “24” is also being spoken about. His limited screen presence in “MI:4” didn’t go with the hype that was generated. However, even in the limited space, he pulled off the role of a skirt-chaser in style. I was also upset with the way Mumbai was shown.
How do you react to other reputed Indian actors doing blink-and-you-miss roles in Hollywood movies for the lure of being seen in the West?
I don’t see that as something that is necessarily bad. It’s a question of getting exposure and who knows, even a small part can actually help an actor get noticed. Irrfan might have done a bit role in “The Darjeeling Limited” but, today, he is playing the villain in “Spiderman 4”.
With the party season on in full swing, what are the most wanted tracks?
“Kolaveri Di” has elbowed out every other track. There is Pritam’s “Subah hone na de” for which I am getting requests for playing it three to four times in an evening. “Sadi gali” is rocking. But the surprise is that “Ooh la la” is doing better than “Chammak challo”.