Cinema News

AR Rahman Gets Slammed By Bengalis Worldwide For Distorting Karar Oi Louho Kopat Song In Pippa Movie, Dravidianist Media Silent Over Issue

November 14, 2023
The Commune

Music composer AR Rahman is once again in the news – no, he is not making headlines for another mismanaged and nightmarish concert; this time, he is facing severe backlash for his rendition of a popular patriotic song by legendary Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam in the Bollywood film ‘Pippa.’ 

The controversy centres around Rahman’s “distortion” of the rhythm and tunes in his version of ‘Karar oi louho kopat’ (Iron bars of a jail). The song was featured in the war movie ‘Pippa,’ based on real-life events during the 1971 India-Pakistan War that led to the birth of Bangladesh. 

Titled ‘Pippa,’ the film pays tribute to the amphibious war tank PT-76, also known as “Pippa,” which smoothly floats on water like an empty ghee tin. The narrative unfolds a wartime saga, highlighting patriotism and the coming-of-age journey of Captain Balram Mehta, portrayed by Ishaan, of the 45 Cavalry Tank Squadron. The storyline showcases the valour and courage of Balram Mehta and the Indian Armed Forces during a war for the liberation of another country.

The original song rendition goes like this:

and the distorted version like this:

The comments on both the videos give an idea of the level of distortion done by AR Rahman.

Family members of Kazi Nazrul Islam, often referred to as the ‘rebel poet,’ expressed outrage over the perceived distortion of the song’s original essence. Kazi Anirban, the poet’s grandson, stated that while his mother had granted consent for the song’s use in the film, she did not approve of any alterations to its tunes and rhythm.

“The way the song has been dished out with the change in rhythm and tunes is shocking,” said Anirban, emphasising that Rahman did not understand the lyrics or the historical background of the song. 

“The song was rendered with a background of fighting the British. It inspired freedom fighters. I don’t know why Rahman sir did this, it’s injustice. I appeal that this song is dropped. He (Rahman) didn’t understand either the lyrics or the background of the song,” he added.

Anindita Kazi, Nazrul’s granddaughter, demanded the immediate removal of the altered version from the film and the public domain. Nazrul’s granddaughter Anindita Kazi in a voice message from the US said, “As members of his family and lovers of his creations, we cannot accept this distortion. We want it to be immediately omitted from the film and removed from the public domain,” as quoted by PTI.

Popular Bengali singer Haimanti Shukla expressed her deep outrage, “I wonder how a composer like AR Rahman could make this happen… No such tinkering with songs of Kazi Nazrul Islam can be allowed. It is shameful for the Bengali singers who were part of the rendition. I am deeply outraged,” she questioned. 

Rahman’s Silence & Netizen Response

While Rahman has yet to comment on the matter, the controversy has gained momentum on social media, with netizens expressing disappointment over what they perceive as a lack of research before altering the song.

Bengalis worldwide have vehemently criticised Rahman for his alterations and distortion of the song, labeling it as distasteful, sacrilegious, akin to slaughter, blasphemous, and horrible, and expressed various other forms of criticism. Here are a few such posts.

First AR Rahman distorted our own Vande Mataram, it has however gained acceptance because we live in a secular and tolerant country. It is surely very brave of Rahman to experiment with the patriotic songs of another country. 

Critic of Remix Culture Turns to Remixing – The Irony That Is AR Rahman

Having previously criticized the remix culture, Rahman now faces criticism from Bengalis for his own “remix.” In an interview with India Today, when questioned about the remix culture, he said, “The more I see, the more it is distorted. The intention of the composer gets distorted. People say, ‘I am reimagining.’ Who are you to re-imagine? I am also very careful of taking someone else’s work. You have to be respectful and I think it is a grey area, we need to sort it out.”

In another interview with The Quint, when asked about his reaction to remixes/covers of his own songs that he might come across on Instagram, he says, “For instance one of my songs, Ishwar Allah is one of my favourite songs and Javed Akhtar Saab wrote it. They took that song and they really killed it. I didn’t do anything about it because I was like what’s going on, but they just really killed it because whatever is added to that may be beautiful, but not with this. I know because it’s – it’s memories, it’s respect. It’s something which happened at that time. It’s destiny. You can’t change that and I hate to use the word bastardised it,”

Apology From Makers; Apology Rejected By Kazi Family

Ronnie Screwvala, through RSVP Movies, and Siddharth Roy Kapur, via Roy Kapur Films, produced the film, while Raja Krishna Menon directed it. In light of the controversy, a statement of apology was issued. They posted on the official handle of the production company and the statement said, “In light of the current discourse surrounding the song ‘Karar Oi Louho Kopat’ the producers, director, and music composer of the film Pippa wish to clarify that our rendition of the song is a sincere artistic interpretation, embarked upon only after securing the necessary adaptation rights from the estate of the Late Mr. Kazi Nazrul Islam.”

Nazrul Islam’s family rejected the apology issued by the filmmakers. As per a Times of India report, the grandson and granddaughter of Kazi Nazrul have refused to accept the apology. Anirban, Nazrul’s grandson, stated, “An apology post on X is not enough for such disrespect. The least they can do is remove the song from the film, along with my mother’s and my name from the credit,” as cited by TOI. Anindita, Nazrul’s granddaughter, echoed this sentiment, saying, “I am not accepting the apology,” as reported by the daily.

Silence in Dravidian Media Amidst Rahman Controversy

Surprisingly, the controversy surrounding AR Rahman’s rendition has not received significant attention in Dravidian media in Tamil Nadu. Instead, the focus remains on other topics such as Deepavali celebrations, smog levels, air quality index (AQI), and police actions against individuals defying orders on cracker bursting during the festival. It is argued that the disproportionate focus on these issues by Dravidian media raises questions about their priorities and the need for balanced coverage of significant cultural and artistic controversies. The lack of substantial coverage of AR Rahman’s controversial rendition in the Dravidian media of Tamil Nadu has raised eyebrows about media priorities in the region. 

(with inputs from Mint, India Today, ABPLive)

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