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Badshah's all-glamarous 'Genda Phool' song featuring Jacqueline Fernandez catches plagiarism allegation

| @indiablooms | Mar 30, 2020, at 10:44 pm

Kolkata/IBNS: Indian rapper Badshah's music video Genda Phool featuring Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez may have hit the right chords with several YouTube users but found itself in the midst of "plagiarism" controversy within days after its release.

The song, which portrays Fernandez as a Bengali woman, has a line "Borlok er Bitilo, lomba lomba chul.....lal genda phool", sung by lead vocalist Payal Dev in the music video.

However there were plenty of listeners who could identify the original folk song which was adapted in the video.

Not the adaption but giving no credit to the original writer of the Bengali folk song, "Boroloker bitilo...", has triggered the allegation of plagiarism.

Though the folk song was originally written by Ratan Kahar, he was not credited anywhere in the music video violating the Indian Copyright Amendment Act 2012.

Kahar is still a resident of Nabari gram of Birbhum.

Arghya Bose, a Doctoral researcher in France, has gone ahead to write to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealing to her to secure intellectual and material remuneration for Kahar.

Bose wrote, "In the capacity of a common but responsible citizen of your state, Madam Chief Minister, I feel obliged and responsible to bring to your notice an exploitation of the poor artists of the state of West Bengal at this level by apparently world renowned artists .

It is, indeed, the moral responsibility of the entire population of the state, and more so, the government of the state to protect the interests of the artistic communities of our country."

He added, "Your government has always shown sensitivity, empathy and appreciativeness to the rich intellectual and cultural diversity of Bengal, which has been one of the many foundations of the popularity of your government.

I write this mail to you hoping that you will be able to act in favour of Mr. Kahar in this regard, and obtain for him the intellectual and material remuneration that is due to him."

Besides plagiarism, the song has also earned critical views of several netizens who have accused the makers of objectifying women through several lines of the rap song.

(Image Credit: Badshah Twitter)

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