'Kantara' plagiarism: Makers barred from playing this song in theaters
In a major development in the plagiarism row involving Kannada film Kantara, the Kozhikode Sessions Court issued an injunction order on Friday barring the makers from playing the movie's song Varaha Roopam in theaters. The order was issued after the popular Malayalam music band Thaikkudam Bridge filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in court. Music streaming platforms were also directed not to play the song.
Why does this story matter?
The original Kannada version of Kantara was released in theaters on September 30. Later, following the film's humongous success, it was dubbed and released in other languages, including Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi, weeks after the Kannada film's release. Varaha Roopam is an important song for Kantara, which plays during a crucial moment. Its removal, as per court orders, might impact the film-viewing experience.
Thaikkudam Bridge shared the court's order on social media
Thaikkudam Bridge took to Instagram on Friday to share the court's injunction order. Its post read, "The Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kozhikode has injuncted the producer, director, music composer, Amazon, YouTube, Spotify, Wynk Music, JioSaavn, and others from playing the song Varaha Roopam in the film Kantara without the permission of Thaikkudam Bridge (sic)." The band also thanked its fans for their support.
Take a look at the band's Instagram post
Here's how the controversy started
Thaikkudam Bridge filed a case against Kantara alleging Varaha Roopam was copied from the band's popular 2015 number Navarasam. The makers of Kantara claimed it sounded similar to Navarasam as both songs are of the same ragas. Notably, Varaha Roopam is based on Thodi, Mukhari, and Kanakaangi ragas. Several industry members and music lovers backed Thaikkudam Bridge, saying the similarities were numerous and striking.
All you need to know about 'Kantara'
Kantara, written and directed by Rishab Shetty, also stars him as the lead actor. Actors Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, and Achyuth Kumar also feature in the movie, which was produced by Hombale Films. The Kannada film, reportedly made on a budget of Rs. 15cr, is on a rampage at the box office, and it has marched past Rs. 250cr at the worldwide box office.
