Varaha Roopam: Kantara on OTT now has the ‘original’ song

The moment that fans of Rishab Shetty’s Kantara had been waiting for is here. The popular song Varaha Roopam, which was considered the soul of the film and had been embroiled in a copyright claim, was not a part of the film when it made its OTT debut on Amazon Prime Video on November 24. A different version of the song played in the climax, scenes of which had been cut short as well. Earlier today, Rishab Shetty had taken to social media to announce that the case in the Thaikkudam Bridge copyright claim had gone in the film’s favour and that the song, Varaha Roopam, would be back on streaming platforms shortly. Within minutes, production house Hombale Films, had the lyrical video open the public yet again on its official YouTube page.

And now, Varaha Roopam is in the film that is playing on OTT as well. Since Rishab’s tweet this afternoon, we’d been checking every few minutes and moments ago realized that the original version is back. Fans, of course, are thrilled to bits. “The old #VarahaRoopam is back in #Kantara on @PrimeVideo,” wrote Prashant Udupa on Twitter, which was echoed by several others.

Varaha Roopam had been removed from all streaming platforms following injunction orders obtained by Kerala-based band Thaikkudam Bridge, who claimed that the song was way too similar to their five-year-old composition Navarasam. In fact, Kantara music director Ajaneesh Loknath had admitted to being inspired by Navarasam, but denied copying it outright. The band’s contention was that the makers of Kantara should give them credit for the composition.

Varaha Roopam’s return to streaming platforms today follows the Palakkad District Court returning the plaint on the ground that it is the Kozhikode District Court that has jurisdiction as the registered office of the plaintiff, MPPCL is in Kozhikode. Interestingly, the Kozhikode District Court had earlier dismissed a similar plaint citing lack of jurisdiction.