Why Ucha Lamba Kad 2.O cannot match Katrina Kaif's original magic

Key points

• When the original Ucha Lamba Kad from the 2007 film Welcome was released, it stood apart from other chartbusters of the time.
• Featuring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, the song became a sensation and a cultural moment.
• Nearly two decades later, the revamped version, Ucha Lamba Kad Forever from Welcome to the Jungle, featuring Akshay Kumar and Disha Patani, has arrived with modern beats, but it struggles to recreate the magic that made the original unforgettable.
• There was a distinct mid-2000s Bollywood energy that, as the piece argues, cannot simply be recreated in a modern studio.
• It was a period of fresh songs that were packaged and presented in a way that connected instantly with audiences.