Trump, note ban part of A R Rahman’s Urvasi remix

The original track, picturising a charmingly young Prabhu Deva dancing to the peppy tunes in a college bus, was an anthem among the youth in the 90’s. Take it easy policy became a catchphrase of sorts, which continued to be so many years after its release. More than two decades later, Rahman has reimagined this song – this time, turning to netizens to crowdsource the lyrics. 

The result – an epic unplugged version featuring lyrics mirroring the present circumstances. Sample this: “Hilary Clinton thothu ponaal, take it easy policy! Donald Trump President aanaal, take it easy policy! Ainooru roopa sellaa ponaal, take it easy policy! Aayiram roopa sellaa ponaal, take it easy policy!” (If Hillary Clinton loses, take it easy policy! If Donald Trump wins, take it easy policy! When 500-rupee note turns invalid, take it easy policy! When 1000-rupee note goes invalid, take it easy policy!) Within hours of its release, the video, released as a part of MTV Unplugged show, went viral. 

Speaking about the track, Rahman told DTNext, “ Urvasi Urvasi is a song made iconic by fans who find it as fresh today as it was when it first came out all those years ago. So this time, to give it a bit of twist, we decided to let fans recreate it with lyrics they wanted to hear. The most beautiful thing about art is that it belongs to everyone and crowdsourcing is a great way to get newer audiences to connect. It was a fabulous experience and what we’ve got is some interesting stuff filled with references to current events which is just as vibrant as the original one!” Rahman’s magic has worked again, as many youngsters have fallen in love with this quirky reinterpretation. 

Hercul James Christopher, an IT professional in the city, said the improvisation totally worked for him. “Since it was a classic hit, only Rahman, who created it, could successfully recreate the same magic. Crowdsourcing the lyrics was such an out-of-the-box idea. I also liked the fact that Rahman roped in the original vocalist Suresh Peters for this unplugged version,” said the youngster. 

Some, like Vivek Ranjit, a screen writer and film buff, likeed the fact that the lyrics have been in Tamil. “I appreciate how Rahman has maintained Tamil lyrics on an international platform like MTV Unplugged, when the easy or more popular option would have been to go with Hindi lyrics!” he said. 

Naveen Kumar, Owner of Irezumi tattoo studio and the captain of the Indian Paintball team, loved the unplugged version even more than the original. “I was really surprised when I first heard the new version. I am a big fan of Rahman and the relatable lyrics combined with the coming together of Rahman and Ranjit Barot was such a treat,” concluded the 36-year-old.