Kantara plagiarism row: Bijibal, Harish Sivaramakrishnan back Thaikkudam Bridge, say track definitely copied

Kannada film Kantara might have won praise for all quarters for its rooted story and brilliant visuals, but the makers of the film are now facing a plagiarism controversy after Kerala-based music band Thaikkudam Bridge have alleged that the composer of the movie has copied their track Navarasam for the track Varaha Roopam in the Rishab Shetty-directorial.

The music band put out a statement on social media accusing the makers of the Kannada blockbuster of copyright infringement and stated that they will be seeking legal action against the team of the movie as well as its producers Hombale Films.

The band has also found support from noted music director Bijibal and Agam singer Harish Sivaramakrishnan. Bijibal took to his social media page with a post that said, “They don’t know how to do it themselves and so it would be clear to state in true Sanskrit, that they have copied it from those who have the sense and put in the work.”

Varaha Roopam, which is composed by Ajaneesh Lokanath, has gotten over 12 lakh views since its release online. Thaikkudam Bridge members said that there was “no acknowledgement of our rights over the content and the song is propagated as an original piece”. The band also urged listeners to spread the word among themselves so that artistes don’t have to face such challenges again.

Meanwhile, lead singer of Agam, Harish, also supported the band. He said that about 90% of the orchestral arrangement of Varaha Roopam is copied from Thaikkudam Bridge’s Navarasam without giving any credit. “I am not saying it’s because it’s the same raga, but because I am really sure,” he posted.

Kantara had also faced controversy earlier this month due to its appropriation of the bhootakala tradition to Brahminical Hinduism. Meanwhile, the movie is already a rage wherever it released. It was poised to overtake Monster and Padavettu’s daily earnings on October 26 and its Hindi version had also earned Rs 26.5 crore during its second week.