Mumbai: Khesari Lal Yadav and Shilpi Raj’s Bhojpuri song ‘Pardesiya’ is still in discussion among the audience even years after its release. The reason for its popularity is not only the voices of both the artists but also the identity associated with the old Hindi song and the pairing of Khesari Lal Yadav and Shweta Mahara in the video. The song quickly gained viewers on YouTube as soon as it was released in 2021. It was viewed millions of times in the initial days and its promotional videos also went viral on social media.
When and which team made ‘Pardesiya’?
This song was released on 18 May 2021 under the banner of Saregama Hum Bhojpuri. It was sung by Khesari Lal Yadav and Shilpi Raj. Shweta Mahara was seen with Khesari in the video. The music of the song was composed by Arya Sharma, while the lyrics were written by Vijay Chauhan. Direction was done by Bibhanshu Tiwari and the responsibility of choreography was handled by Lucky Vishwakarma.
What is its relation with the old Hindi song?
The biggest identity of Bhojpuri ‘Pardesiya’ is its association with the song of the 1979 film ‘Mr Natwarlal’. That Hindi song filmed by Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha was voiced by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. The music was by Rajesh Roshan and lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi. The Bhojpuri version presented the same recognisable tune and Mukhda in Bhojpuri style. Because of this the new version became instantly recognisable to audiences familiar with the old song.
How is the chemistry of Khesari-Shweta in the video of the song?
In the video, the pair of Khesari and Shweta give a light-hearted colour to the song through dance and gestures. Along with romance, a touch of humour is also visible in the presentation of both. Just a few days after its release, Khesari shared a video on social media to promote the song. In that he was seen mopping and Shweta was also with him. At that time this clip also went viral, due to which the song got discussion online.
How many views did you get in five years?
The views of ‘Pardesiya’ increased rapidly in the initial days of its release. A report in May 2021 reported that the video had received more than 86 lakh views within three days. In later reports, its total views were said to be around 7 crore 40 lakh. This figure is of the time recorded in the respective report; Views on YouTube are constantly changing, so this should not be considered a current live count.
What was the reason for the popularity of the song?
‘Pardesiya’ benefited from the familiar tune of an old Hindi song, Bhojpuri lyrics and the presence of popular artists. Khesari and Shilpi’s voices took it to the Bhojpuri audience, while the Shweta-Khesari duo gave a different charm to the video. Reels and clips shared on social media also played a role in increasing its reach. The song being mentioned even after five years shows that the recreation created a new identity for the Bhojpuri audience while maintaining its original context.
