Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri seems to be finding it hard to appease audiences-not just at the box office, but on the web too. First, the film drew flak for its rendition of the classic Saat Samundar Paar, and now it has again found itself at the receiving end over a dance number featuring Kartik Aaryan shaking a leg to Saajanji Ghar Aaye, the iconic number originally picturised on Salman Khan and Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
Starring Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday, the romantic comedy hit theatres on Christmas Day, and within hours of its first shows, clips from the film filled social media. But there was one video which picked up more steam than the others – Kartik makes an entry at a function, dancing on Saajanji Ghar Aaye, is soon joined by Ananya. What was meant to be a nostalgic tribute turned out to be an epic faux pas.
Soon, comparison videos began to float online where Kartik’s performance was stitched alongside Salman Khan’s original version. Social media users started sharing their opinions bluntly, and most of them asserted that Kartik failed to recreate the charm, swag, and screen presence associated with Salman Khan.
Comments came in thick and fast. “Please stop ruining iconic songs. You can’t even match one percent of Salman Khan’s swag,” said one user. Another asked for a halt to the remix culture: “Every movie has a remake now-this is getting annoying.” A number of Salman’s fans took his corner, repeatedly calling him “unmatched”, “irreplaceable”, and “always the best.”
Some reactions were harsher, calling Kartik’s version the “worst”, while saying Salman Khan’s aura simply cannot be replicated. A fan even went to the extent of joking that Bollywood legends Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan should get copyrights on their iconic songs to prevent remakes.
The backlash adds to the growing criticism about the film’s creative decisions. Helmed by Sameer Vidwans, the film also features Jackie Shroff and Neena Gupta, and is presented by Dharma Productions. It has been produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Shareen Mantri Kedia, and Kishor Arora.
A recent review by the Hindustan Times described the film as a visually stunning but emotionally hollow effort that promised depth from its title but failed miserably, despite great veteran performances. As Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri struggles to win audience approval amidst criticisms of remixed classics and underwhelming execution, it is certainly an uphill battle. ????????