Powerhouse performer Sunidhi Chauhan is one of the three judges on Amazon Prime Video’s musical reality show The Remix, which streams from March 9. She tells t2 all about the show and more...

What is The Remix about?

It’s a totally new concept to have two people in each team, one a DJ and the other a composer or singer, recreate or revisit a song we have heard before in a new way by adding new elements — may be a freshly composed part, rap or classical alaap. People don’t know what goes into the making of remixes — how a song is remixed, how those elements are mixed up. It has not happened on TV before.

What about the background of the contestants?

There are no reality bits added about the contestants. It’s just about pure music and that’s what I love about the show. All these people are established, you have seen them or heard about them. We have shot 10 episodes and some behind-the-scenes footage which will be available to subscribers of Amazon. 

How does it feel to be part of a reality show where you do not have the uncertainty of audience voting?

Honestly speaking, it is very comfortable and peaceful. With audience poll you go through a lot of emotions. Sometimes you are happy with the result, sometimes you are not. Here we all come from different backgrounds in music — Nucleya is a DJ but he also composes, I can talk about vocals but I also have knowledge of tracks, Amit is a composer and he also sings and knows about production. With such a panel you don’t need judgment coming from anywhere.

Were the participants at liberty to choose the songs?

They were given a set of songs from which they could choose. Some episodes were theme-based — romantic, ’90s, retro.... All the contestants experimented with jazz, rock ’n’ roll, swing, fusion… it was a good mix.

You and Amit Trivedi have worked together in Dear Zindagi, Fitoor and Secret Superstar. How was it doing this show with him? 

It was great to spend time together off work. It was something different that we were spending time on and it was fun.

What is your take on EDM?

It sounds good. But too much of anything is bad. This show is not about EDM only, here you would understand what the drop means, what turntables mean, everything related to DJing.

So many of your songs have been remixed... do you enjoy listening to those versions of your songs?

I hardly listen to my own songs. I would rather listen to something that I have not heard before.

You have reinterpreted Yeh mera dil...

It’s an iconic song. I am privileged that they (the makers of the 2006 film Don) approached me for it. The brief I was given was that I didn’t have to be anywhere close to the original.

Sudeshna Banerjee