In what should have been a groundbreaking cross-cultural experiment, ‘Naan Factory’ proves to be little more than a tepid serving of recycled beats and predictable arrangements. Batmanka and Vintej’s reimagining of the 1993 Bollywood classic ‘Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai’ from the Sanjay Dutt-Jackie Shroff-Madhuri Dixit starrer ‘Khalnayak’ starring , demonstrates how even the most promising ingredients can result in a flavourless dish.
The track begins promisingly enough, with deep basslines that hint at potential depths. However, like a curry without spices, ‘Naan Factory’ quickly reveals itself to be remarkably one-dimensional. The producers seem content to rely on a singular pattern that overstays its welcome within the first two minutes, failing to do justice to the vibrant original vocals by Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun.
While the original Bollywood track, composed by the legendary duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal, sparkles with vitality and cultural richness, this interpretation strips away all nuance, replacing it with monotonous techno elements that feel dated rather than nostalgic. The hypnotic quality they’ve aimed for instead becomes hypnotic in the wrong way – inducing a state of bored stupor rather than dance floor ecstasy.
The attempted fusion of Eastern melody and Western club aesthetics is admirable in theory, but in practice, it’s as exciting as watching dough rise. The producers have managed to take a vibrant piece of Indian pop culture and transform it into something that could have emerged from any generic European club circa 1995.
‘Naan Factory’ ultimately delivers exactly what its name suggests – a mass-produced, assembly-line product lacking the authentic touch that makes either Bollywood or techno truly special. While it might serve as passable filler in a DJ set at 3 am, it fails to bring anything fresh to either genre it attempts to honour.
Its available on Spotify and SoundCloud.