Kazi Nazrul Islam’s kin have refused to accept the apology that the makers of ‘Pippa’ issued on Monday over A R Rahman’s recreation of the iconic song, “Karar Oi Louho Kopat”, reports Priyanka Dasgupta.
The ‘Pippa’ team stated on the RSVP production house’s X handle: “While all art is inherently subjective, if our interpretation has hurt sentiments or caused unintended distress, we offer our sincere apologies.”
Nazrul’s grandson Anirban Kazi and granddaughter Anindita Kazi rejected the apology.
Anirban said: “My mother never gave any right to change the tune. 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.”
Anindita said, “I am not accepting the apology.” Team ‘Pippa’ said, “...We approached the making of this song by faithfully following both the letter and the spirit of the license agreement for the lyrics, as duly signed with the Late Mrs. Kalyani Kazi and witnessed by Mr. Anirban Kazi. Our intent was to pay homage to the cultural significance of the song while adhering to the terms set forth in our agreement, which permitted us to use the lyrics with a new composition.”
The team behind the film "Pippa" has clarified that their rendition of the poem "Karar oi louho kopat" is a sincere artistic interpretation and was done with the necessary adaptation rights. The controversy arose when A R Rahman's version of the poem was accused of distortion by the poet's family.
The team expressed deep respect for the original composition and the poet's contribution to the Indian subcontinent. They apologized if their version hurt sentiments and explained that they followed the terms of the license agreement. The new iteration of the poem by Rahman has also faced criticism from the artistic community in West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Protests have arisen against A R Rahman's reinterpretation of the iconic song 'Karar oi louha kopat' by Kazi Nazrul Islam for the film 'Pippa'. Nazrul's family members and admirers expressed their disappointment and called it an insult.
Nazrul's grandson, Anirban Kazi, stated that he wants his family's name removed from the film's credit as a form of protest. Many admirers of the poet also joined the protest, expressing their sadness and shock at Rahman's rendition. The original song was written in 1922 and recorded in 1949.
Protests have erupted against A.R. Rahman's reinterpretation of the iconic song "Karar oi louho kopat" by Kazi Nazrul Islam for the film "Pippa". Nazrul's family members, including his grandson Anirban Kazi, are calling it an insult and want their family's name removed from the film's credits.
Many admirers of Nazrul's work have also joined the protest. Rahman's version of the song has been criticized for completely changing the original tune composed by Nazrul. The production house has not responded to the protests.
Source: The Times of India
BDST: 1317 HRS, NOV 14, 2023
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