Kantara Varaharoopam Controversy Explained: ICYMI, Here's Why Thaikkudam Bridge Got Amazon Prime to Remove the Song From Rishab Shetty-Starrer

Even if you have not watched the Kannada blockbuster Kantara on the big screen or in its OTT debut on Amazon Prime, you might have seen tweets of fans writing about "Varaha Roopam" song, or that lack of it thereof, that they claim, ruins the impact of the film's first act and in the finale. TBH, they are right. The song has an integral role io amp up the powerfulness of the particular scenes. Alas, for these fans, they need to watch the film now without the song, however, the absence of "Varaha Roopam" in Kantara is a huge victory for those fighting the hard battle against copyright infringement. Kantara OTT Release: Amazon Prime Removes Thaikkudam Bridge's Varaharoopam Song From Rishab Shetty’s Film; Band Celebrates By Saying ‘Justice Prevails’ (View Post).

ICYMI, the popular Kerala-based band Thaikkudam Bridge, that was started in 2013 by Govind Vasantha  and Siddharth Menon, had filed a copyright infringement against the makers of Kantara for plagiarising their song "Navarasam". In a Facebook post on October 24, the band wrote, "From our and our partners standpoint, 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."

The group further wrote, "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 copyright." (sic)

When they were asked about the alleged plagiarism, Kantara's composer Ajaneesh Loknath claimed that there were similarities between the songs but "Varaha Roopam" was an original song, while the film's lead actor and director, Rishab Shetty, denied the allegations.

However, Thaikkudam Bridge decides to take the legal route when reportedly talks between them and the makers failed to come to any justified conclusion. Based on the injunction the band filed against the makers of Kantara, the Kozhikode District first passed an injunction order on October 28, and later, on November 2, the Palakkad District Court also passed a similar order. Following which the makers of Kantara had to remove the song from the official channels from streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify. This was seen as a huge relief and victory for the band, and was hailed by other musicians. However, unofficial uploads still exists on YouTube one of which you can find below:

Here's the "Navarasam" Song Uploaded by Kappa Original's official channel on YouTube, so that you can check out the alleged similarities and make your own judgement here:

It is based on these injunction orders that Amazon Prime could not use the original version of "Varaharoopam" when Kantara premiered on the platform a couple of days back. Thaikkudam Bridge saw this as a win, as they posted the below on their social media handles.

However, while the supporters of Thaikkudam Bridge cheered at this removal which they see as justice, the fans of Kantara are angry with the band. They believe that the removal of the original version of "Varaha Roopam" has diluted the impact of the film's powerful climax, and also in the beginning. They see this legal move as the band's attempt to gain more fame on the back of a blockbuster film, though that argument doesn't hold much water since the band is immensely popular in Kerala and among the diaspora Malayali fanbase. Kantara OTT Debut: Fans Disappointed With New Version of Varaharoopam in Rishab Shetty's Film; Say It Lacks the Punch of Old Version.

Others pointed out that the band themselves became popular with their recreated versions of Malayalam movie songs, though that has little to do lifting a song and then not give credit to the original creators.

Which side are you on, though? Do you think using a song without the original creator's permission is justified in the name of art? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 25, 2022 02:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).