Karan Oberoi accused of 'pedaling soft porn', actor defends himself

Slammed online for his erotic rendition of the classic Chaudhvin Ka Chand, singer-actor Karan Oberoi defends his version of Guru Dutt's 1960 gem

Yesteryear classic Chaudhvin Ka Chand just got erotic, and netizens aren't happy. The melodious 1960 track, belted out by Mohammed Rafi, has been recreated by Karan Oberoi of Band Of Boys fame. The music video features him getting intimate with model Raina Ahluwalia. While Oberoi's industry pals have been raving about it, with R Madhavan calling it 'awesome' and Pooja Bedi terming it 'sizzling hot', web users are outraged, accusing Oberoi of "pedaling soft porn", "making it look like a condom ad" and "turning a gem into a gutter stone."

Karan Oberoi and Raina Ahluwalia in the music video

However, Oberoi has now come out in defence of his rendition, stating, "The song is sensual, but it's not a sleaze fest. It has a modern-day approach. Everybody is entitled to an opinion. It's not my place to question them. My intention was not to turn a classic song that I have loved to something that offends people. If this is termed soft porn, then every Enrique Iglesias video would be deemed the same. But we seem to accept and celebrate it as erotic, sensual and romantic. Instead of copying the original, I have given it a real-life contemporary touch."

Also read: Richa Chadha helped me throughout intimate scenes for 'Inside Edge': Karan Oberoi

The singer-actor admits that he initially had reservations about creating it, especially owing to the cult status that the original has acquired. But, he decided to go forth after consideration. "After jamming with my band, I came up with something that sounded right, and I went on to create it. I have written the story as well." The number is part of his 15-track album, Retronica, the music of which has also been produced by Oberoi, along with his band, Sunoh. "The idea was to create a storyline and narrative, like the industry witnessed in the good ol' days when indie pop was popular."

Also read: Are Neetu Chandra and Karan Oberoi just friends? 

The video, directed by ad filmmaker Shashi Bhushan, follows a young fan of Oberoi, one who turns up at his film's set to meet him. Finding him shooting a sexual scene, the fan fantasises about getting between the sheets with him. As her dream ends, she realises he isn't the man she pictured him to be, as Oberoi greets her with a namaste and walks away. "The song chronicles life in the industry. It appears glossy, but the truth is far from that," says Oberoi.

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