SAMBALPUR: Telecast of remix version of Sambalpuri folk song ‘Rangabati, rangabati...’ on Coke Studio programme of MTV on Sunday even after legal notices were issued to the Coca Cola company, singers and music composer of the remix, has left the copyright owners of the original song shocked.
Speaking to this paper after the telecast of the show, lyricist of the original version Mitrabhanu Gauntia said, “We are pained and shocked by the telecast of the song on MTV and will take next legal step after consultation with our lawyer.”
Jitendra Haripal, who sung the popular folk song of 1970’s along with Krishna Patel, said the remix was not in good taste and hurt the sentiment of the people of the region.
On July 3, music director Prabhudutta Pradhan and Gauntia had issued legal notices to Hindustan Coca-cola Beverage Private Limited, Hindustan Coca Cola Holdings Private Limited, Viacom 18 Media Private Limited through their lawyer for infringement of copyright.
Notices were also sent to music composer Ram Sampath, singer Sona Mohapatra and Rituraj Mohanty, who sung the remix version for the MTV Coke Studio.
Stating that they saw the promo of the remix making round on ‘YouTube’, Pradhan and Gauntia claimed that no permission was obtained from them nor anybody approached them before twisting the original version. This tantamounts to violation of Copyright Act besides trying to rob the beauty of the song, they added. They had demanded that the telecast of the remix version should be stopped and compensation of ` one crore be paid.
Supreme Court lawyer Sagar Pradhan, who sent the notices on behalf of Pradhan and Gauntia, said it is a clear case of infringement of Copyright Act 1957.
The remix version which has gone viral on YouTube, has come at a time when western music and remixes have pushed the original folk numbers to backburner.