Music and films, together, are not unexplored territories. But, when a book’s plot is on music, love and plagiarism, you cannot help getting inquisitive.
You Stole My Song (YSMS), as the title suggests, is the story of passion, music and plagiarism in the backdrop of Bollywood. The writers, Shammeer Munvar Sultan and Chandrakasan S who have different backgrounds—the latter a software engineer and the former a writer and composer — have penned a tale that is both edgy and tricky. “It is actually a story that I heard from one of the sound engineers I worked with. And, it is also inspired by my own aversion to lifted tunes that we see in the music industry today,” says Shammeer.
You Stole My Song was launched at The Landmark, Apex Plaza on Friday with a discussion by Soumini Paul, AVP, Artistaloud.com.
YSMS is adapted from Shammeer’s Tamil novel titled Neon Nagaram and Chandru has worked on the storyline to bring out the English version with a few differences from the original. The English adaptation also has a muscial track that complements the storyline.
However, though they admit they might possibly rub many on the wrong side with their bold portrayal of the reality in the industry, they have ensured that they do not step on many toes.
“We have made a reference to many songs that have been lifted from world music, but at the same time we have left it open-ended. The readers can figure out the original numbers. So, there is no picking on any particular person,” they say.
But, while it may seem that the book is perhaps a potpourri of some of the most untried ingredients, there is a familiar component — a love story. Shammeer credits his friend and co-author Chandru for the dimension in the novel. “He didn’t like the seriousness in the original version, so he added a romance twist to the tale,” he laughs.
The writers acknowledge that entering the Indian English writing scene hasn’t been easy for them. “But after getting the big break, we can say that it is not about whose writing, but it is mostly about the stuff you have got in your works. If the content is good, you will find takers no matter what,” they say.
