Social media has been in a tizzy, ever since the keenly-awaited trailer for Dharma Productions’ upcoming film ‘JugJugg Jeeyo‘, dropped yesterday afternoon. Twitter users from Pakistan instantly flooded the social networking site with tweets, calling out Dharma Productions and Karan Johar for lifting a prominent song in the film trailer, ‘Nach Punjaban’ from popular Pakistani pop singer, Abrar ul Haq’s 2002 song of the same name.
Minutes later, the man at the centre of the issue, Pakistani singer Abrar ul Haq himself tweeted that he had not sold the rights to his song ‘Nach Punjaban’ to anyone. He followed up the assertion with a promise of taking legal action against Dharma Productions and Karan Johar, for using his song in JugJugg Jeeyo without his permission.
Abrar ul Haq tweeted, “I have not sold my song Nach Punjaban to any Indian movie and reserve the rights to go to court to claim damages. Producers like Karan Johar should not use copied songs. This is my 6th song being copied which will not be allowed at all.”
He added, “Song Nach Punjaban has not been licensed to any one. If someone is claiming it, then produce the agreement. I will be taking legal action.”
Here are Abrar ul Haq’s tweets, accusing Karan Johar of plagiarism –
No one from JugJugg Jeeyo’ s producers Dharma Productions or Karan Johar’s team chose to reply to Abrar ul Haq’s accusations until last night.
The controversy spilled over into Monday too, with anyone and everyone tweeting taunts and jibes at Dharma Productions for ‘stealing’ Abrar ul Haq’s song and blatantly using it in their JugJugg Jeeyo trailer and film.
However, this afternoon, music giant T-Series has come forth to issue a clarification on the ‘Nach Punjaban’ plagiarism controversy. The music company tweeted that it has legally acquired the rights to the song ‘Nach Punjaban’ from its current owner, Movie Box Records. It also added that due credits will be given to the concerned parties when the song is launched officially.
Here’s what T-Series tweeted,
“T-Series has legally acquired the rights to adapt the song Nach Punjaban from the album Nach Punjaban released on iTunes on 1st January, 2002 and is also available on #LollywoodClassics’ YouTube channel, owned and operated by @1moviebox Records Label, for the film Jug Jugg Jeeyo produced by @dharmamovies. All due credits shall be included across all platforms when song releases. As represented by @1moviebox Records Label the said song copyrights exclusively vest with moviebox only with all valid documents.”
Even after T-Series’ clarification, trolling against Karan Johar, Dharma Productions and T-Series continues unabated.
In our opinion, rather than issuing clarifications after a plagiarism issue has blown up out of all proportion, why don’t our filmwallahs follow the norm abroad and convey beforehand to the public, news of any rights acquisitions they’ve made for a particular film. Any legal formalities done behind closed doors remain behind closed doors. Unless informed beforehand, it’s still plagiarism in the public eye.