The song Challa from Jab Tak Ha Jaan was an instant hit on the Internet. The video, featuring a guitar-strumming Shah Rukh Khan became the ‘most-watched worldwide’ on Youtube. But that’s not all for which the song is creating a buzz. Many claim that this A.R. Rahman number, sung by Rabbi Shergill, bears a close likeness to Eagle-Eye Cherry’s Save Tonight from album Desireless.
Well, plagiarism and Bollywood is an old story, and the controversies have even dogged some big names. But here, the person in question is the country’s most respected musician, who took Bollywood music to the international podium. Musicians feel that critics are too quick to blame, even when there may not be a direct resemblance.
Singer Sona Mahapatra thinks that people are too quick to hurl accusations on others these days. “Unfortunately, most of those who are blaming don’t even have the courtesy to listen to the song and the claimed original. They just form an opinion and react,” she says. “Copyright infringement is a serious issue. But by reacting without research, we are trivialising it,” she adds.
Singer Shaan blames un-monitored social platforms like twitter for such ‘un-called’ for controversy. “Please ignore a handful of so-called critics, who may even not be genuine,” he says.
On twitter, if the song is earning praises, there are some spoilsports too. Roopam Chowdhury @rjroopam twitted, “‘Challa’ from Jab Tak Hain Jaan a copy from Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry? Difficult to say no”. Punjabi music @5abimusic wrote, “Is A.R. Rahman is COPYCAT? YES!” And Rahul Singh @rahulsingh18 wrote, “Challa from new SRK movie seems2b copy of this song..chk this out Eagle Eye Cherry-Save tonight”.
Says Nitin Malik of band Parikrama, “We should not forget that Rahman is the greatest musicians of the country. Also, why would one steal the tune of a popular song,” he says.
“Sometimes, a tune that one has listened to in the past registers in the mind so well that while creating music it comes back. We have to understand that there’s no intention to cheat,” says young musician Ragav Puri.
“A person of Rahman’s stature should be unaffected by such allegations,” says Nitin, as he also stresses on the need of a stern action against the serial offenders, who, he says, made their careers out of copying others.