Mirzapur: The Movie has landed in a controversy over the use of the song “Shoorveer”. Independent artiste Rapperiya Baalam has alleged that the song was used in the film without his permission and has now sent a legal notice to Excel Entertainment.Â
The controversy started on Sunday when Rapperiya Baalam claimed that he holds the copyright to “Shoorveer”, a song dedicated to Maharana Pratap. He objected to the track being used in Mirzapur: The Movie, particularly because it is played in the context of Munna Bhaiyya, whose character is shown indulging in violence, abuse and drugs.
Trouper Records, the label on whose channel the song was originally released, has challenged Rapperiya Baalam’s allegations. However, the singer has maintained that the copyright for the song belongs to him. Speaking exclusively to SCREEN, his brother and spokesperson explained why the family is now taking legal action against the makers.
Rapperiya Baalam Claims CopyrightÂ
According to his brother, Rapperiya Baalam had worked with Trouper Records in the past. Although he was not officially a partner at the time, there was an understanding that he would eventually become a 50 per cent partner.Â
“Rapperiya Baalam and Trouper Records used to work together earlier. While Rapperiya Baalam was not a partner on the documents, he was working with them. As per the commitment, he was going to legally become a 50 percent partner with the records after a few years. This song had been released before the partnership happened; for all the songs Rapperiya Baalam made for that channel, he didn’t get paid. Later, when the partnership discussions began, Trouper Records started delaying the issue. Unfortunately, no NOC was ever signed for the songs he made,” his brother said.
He claimed that Rapperiya Baalam later started his own channel and secured copyright documents for the songs in his real name, Ashok Manda.
“All copyright-related documents for Shoorveer are in Rapperiya Baalam’s real name, Ashok Manda. He had gotten the copyright made in his name for this particular song, and we later made 9-10 songs in the Shoorveer series. We have copyright certificates for all of them; we have an NOC from the writer as well,” he said.
Why Is Rapperiya Baalam Unhappy With Mirzapur?
For the artiste, the dispute is not only about copyright. He believes the song has been used in a context that goes against the reason it was originally created.
The “Shoorveer” series was intended to introduce younger audiences to Indian history and the stories of historical figures through music. According to Rapperiya Baalam’s brother, that is why the use of the song alongside Munna Bhaiyya is particularly upsetting.
“These songs are not commercial; the idea behind them was next generation is connected to our history. We wanted the kids to learn history through rap music and know the stories about our leaders. Every artist has a dream to have a song in a good film; it was our dream too. But particularly with this series, we have some ideologies attached. In Mirzapur, Munna Bhaiyya is abusing and consuming drugs, and to portray his character, they have added this song to the background music. It’s an insult to our Rajasthani culture and to Maharana Pratap. If a youngster sees this, he will associate a character like Munna Bhaiyya with Maharana Pratap. It will portray a wrong idea.”
The family also questioned how the song was licensed to the film if, as they claim, Rapperiya Baalam holds its copyright.
“The song is on the Trouper Records channel, but we have the copyright. If it’s being used in a film, it has to get permission from us. They cannot license it; it’s illegal. Even the Mirzapur makers are responsible for this; they should have checked the proper documents before licensing happened. Excel Entertainment’s mistake is that they chose a song dedicated to Maharana Pratap to portray a goon; it’s the wrong selection.”
Family Contacted Farhan Akhtar And Ritesh Sidhwani
Rapperiya Baalam and his family have also tried to contact Mirzapur producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. They claim that while Farhan did not respond, Ritesh’s team said they would get in touch.
“We messaged Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Farhan didn’t reply; Ritesh said his team will talk to us. We don’t want to talk to the team; we want to speak with them directly. We want to understand why they did this. We want the song to be removed from Mirzapur; it’s not made for this film. It is hurting our sentiments and ideology by portraying it wrongly. We demand that the song shouldn’t be a part of this film. We won’t permit this song to be used at any cost. We don’t wish to speak to anyone at Trouper Records either,” they said.
Rapperiya Baalam Demands ApologyÂ
The singer has now confirmed that a legal notice has been sent to Excel Entertainment. He said the demand to remove the song remains unchanged.
“We have sent a legal notice to the makers; it’s in process. Our stand is the same; we will not allow this song to be used. This song in Mirzapur spoils Maharana Pratapji’s image,” he said.
He has also made an unusual additional demand. Apart from removing the song and issuing an apology, he wants the makers to build a school dedicated to Maharana Pratap.
“We want them to remove the song, issue an apology, and we have made these songs for the next generation, so we want them to build a school in Maharana Pratap’s name where kids learn about these great leaders and their history. These demands are mentioned in the legal notice too,” he added.
ALSO READ:Â ‘Heartbroken’: Rapperiya Baalam Reacts To His Song Shoorveer Being Used In Mirzapur Without Permission
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