Katrina vs. Raveena: Who did it better?
Rohit Shetty’s new cop entertainer, Sooryavanshi became the first Bollywood blockbuster to hit Indian cinemas after they finally reopened. The Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif starrer includes a recreation of Raveena Tandon’s 1994 song Tip Tip Barsa Pani. The original song also included Akshay and was a part of the film Mohra. While netizens love Katrina’s sultry avatar in the remake, some are disappointed by the missing charm compared to the original song.
The micro-blogging site Twitter was divided into Team Katrina and Team Raveena after the movie was released. Apart from comparing the two starlets, some fans even expressed their disappointment with Akshay’s acting in the film. However, Farah Khan, who choreographed Katrina’s version, shared that Raveena herself did not have issues with the remake. She was the first one to commend the choreography and Katrina’s dance skills.
Raveena Tandon’s fans strike
A fan took to the microblogging site and said, “I just saw the Tip Tip Barsa Pani remake. After watching it I am pretty much sure that no one can recreate that magic that Raveena Tandon had. She had 103-degree fever at that time, and the performance was still recognised as a cult classic.”
Team Katrina Kaif
“Katrina Kaif deserves a standing ovation for the looks she served in the new song. I absolutely loved her performance. What a role she has played. Nailed out Tip Tip Barsa Pani entirely on her own. And the temperature which she sets up in (her song) Naja Naja is just fire. What a chemistry Akshay sir and Katrina share. One can’t say that these two are working after a decade. Top-notch performance” shared a user.
Akshay and Bollywood’s problematic status
Fans expressed their disappointment with Akshay’s performance.
“Stop pitting Katrina against Raveena. They are both gorgeous and extremely talented dancers. Let's talk instead about the fact that they both are said to represent "two generations of actresses" and yet are alluring and enamouring the same man 27 years apart.”
Another added, “Forget about Katrina Kaif, no offence to her latkas and jhatkas, but Raveena cannot be matched ever in Tip Tip Barsa Pani but even Akshay couldn’t recreate his own expressions in the remake. The way he looks at Raveena in the original song is another level!!”
On the other hand, the major question being asked on Twitter is how Bollywood cannot get over objectifying women and how nothing has changed in these two decades. We saw some fans spill the truth by questioning the song and its production.
A fan commented on the sultry avatar and choreography and said, “Just seen a revamped version of a Bollywood classic song Tip Tip Barsa Pani. and while I find the remix somewhat catchy, I feel the choreography could’ve been a tad less sleazy!”
Another fan raised an important point, “In this song, we think Akshay Kumar is still young while Raveen Tandon looks old. Unless this mindset is changed, talk of women empowerment is futile.”