OKB is not impressed with Bollywood's rendition of 'Bibi Sanam' and we don't blame him

Ten years on, some iconic Coke Studio tracks are still making waves. One of them is Zeb & Haniya's take on Wahid Qasemi’s (Vaheed Kaacemy; Persian) Bibi Sanam.

Produced by maestro Rohail Hyatt, the song went on to become one of the most famous releases on the music platform.  The original, however, had a different tune and harmony altogether. The magnificent Afghani folk number is sung in a Dari style by Wahid. The vocals of both the artists are unparalleled given their unique style.

Whereas the Zeb & Haniya version starts with a beautiful Rubab played by Sadiq Sameer, whereas in the original, we hear some dramatic guitar playing followed the Rubab. The song then accentuates with eccentric drums, courtesy of Pinto, while Zoe, Sanam and Saba can be seen as the backing vocalists in the song.

The duo really turned it into a soulful and poignant rendition after giving it a totally innovative and novel touch. The song marks a modern-day rhythm that embarks its cultural history, linguistics and subtlety while adding more instrumentation and dimensions.

However, we recently came to know about a Bollywood cover of the same. Actor Osman Khalid Butt took to Twitter to reveal how he has just come across another rendition of Bibi Sanam by Indian composers. "Today I learned there's a Bollywood 'version' of Zeb & Haniya's iconic Bibi Sanam. Watch or hear at your own peril," the Balu Mahi star wrote.

And boy, was he right!

Richa Chadha-starrer Cabaret's version of the song is cringe-worthy – to say the least.

While we are all for taking inspiration, some songs are best left untouched. Zeb & Haniya's version was just that. Here's hoping we don't see more of our classics ruined in the name of renditions.

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