AR Rehman’s Version of Kazi Nazrul’s Song ‘Karar Oi Louho Kopat’ Faces Backlash Online
After the release of the film Pippa, which is based on the 1971 war of liberation for Bangladesh, there has been some backlash regarding the use of the patriotic song Karar Oi Louho Kopat originally written and composed by the great Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Pippa is a film based around the war of 1971 between India and Pakistan which led to the creation of Bangladesh as an independent state. The music for the film was composed by the great maestro AR Rehman. The film was released on Amazon Prime on the 10th of November.
However, controversy has been brewing online not for the inclusion of the song, which the makers have clarified that they had done after securing the rights for the song and the lyrics, but because of the manner in which the song had been “distorted.” Recently, the late great poet’s grandson and painter Kazi Anirban had claimed that while the makers of Pippa had been given the rights to use the song but they never gave them the rights to change the tunes and the rhythm of the song.
This had created significant ruckus online from fans of the original composition and “Kabi Nazrul”, as he is affectionately known. This has prompted the makers of the film to come out with a statement of their own clarifying the matter completely.
The team responsible for the creation of the film, production companies RSVP and Roy Kapur Films, have come out with a statement on X stating that they do hold “deep respect” for the original composition by the great poet as well as his “contribution to the musical, political and social landscape of the Indian subcontinent”. According to the makers the album for the film was created as a way of paying tribute to those who were behind the liberation of Bangladesh.
They went on to say that they had all the legal rights required for making alterations to the song, however, they also went on to apologise stating that while art is subjective, if their rendition of the poem had hurt sentiments or caused unintended distress, then they wholeheartedly apologise.
