Thaikudam Bridge accuse Kantara makers of plagiarism. (Photo: Instagram/thaikkudambridge)The makers of the latest Kannada blockbuster Kantara have been accused of copyright infringement by Kerala-based music band Thaikkudam Bridge. The band has issued a statement on its social media pages expressing their intention to take legal action against the makers of the film. Written and directed by Rishab Shetty, who has also played the lead role in it, Kantara is bankrolled by Hombale Films.
Thaikkudam Bridge has alleged “Varaha Roopam” from Kantara is a rip-off of its song “Navarasam”, which came out about five years ago. And the band also sought public support in this matter.
“We would like our listeners to know that Thaikkudam Bridge is in no way or form affiliated with Kantara. The unavoidable similarities between our IP ‘Navarasam’ and ‘Varaha Roopam’ in terms of audio is therefore a blatant infringement of copyright laws. From our standpoint the line between ‘Inspired’ and ‘Plagiarized’ is distinct and indisputable and therefore we will be seeking legal action against the creative team responsible for this. There has been no acknowledgement of our rights over the content and the song is propagated as an Original piece of work by the movie’s creative team. We request the support of our listeners and encourage you to spread the word about the same. Also request our fellow artistes to share and raise your views protecting music copy right,” read the statement from Thaikkudam Bridge posted on its Instagram page.
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The musical similarity between Navarasam and Varaha Roopam is too hard to miss. Composed by Ajaneesh Loknath, “Varaha Roopam” forms a vital part of Kantara’s core emotion. “Navarasam”, meanwhile, is an exposition of Kerala’s Theyyam culture. The song highlights the caste prejudice and its dehumanising ramifications on innocent lives in a very immersive visual style.
On YouTube, while “Navarasam” has just over 4.2 million views in five years, within five days, the “Varaha Roopam” song has been watched more than 10 million times.
Kantara, made on a relatively small budget, is also a big hit at the box office across the country. And it’s still running successfully in cinemas.
Neither Rishab Shetty nor Hombale Films have reacted to the plagiarism allegation yet.