‘Mirzapur: The Movie’, which opened in cinemas on Friday, has been riding high at the box office following largely favourable reviews. But the film’s success has now been overshadowed by allegations that its makers repurposed a song written for Maharana Pratap and inserted it into a gangster-themed scene instead. Rajasthani artist Rapperiya Baalam has claimed on Instagram that the song was used without seeking his permission or giving him due credit.
Rapperiya Baalam says, “You have hurt me”
Rapperiya shared a video on Instagram, saying he never thought he would have to post something like this. “Aaj to dil dukhaya hai (You have hurt me),” he says. He added that many would question why he is upset, given that his song has found a place in a film as big as ‘Mirzapur’. “The team never took my permission to use the song. This song was dedicated to Maharana Pratap Singh, and you’re using it to glorify villains? Is this okay?” he questioned.He also mentioned that had the ‘Mirzapur’ team reached out to him after liking the song, he would have gladly offered them ten similar alternatives. “But to use it without permission… I don’t know who you took the rights from. I am hurt because I feel like you’ve insulted Rajasthan and Maharana Pratap ji. It’s not something I can digest,” said the musician, adding that the warrior had endured a great deal for the country.
Fans and Instagram pages come out in support
Social media users expressed strong disapproval of the ‘Mirzapur’ makers for using a song dedicated to Maharana Pratap in a scene involving gangsters. An Instagram page called Folk Music of Rajasthan came out in support of the musician, writing, “History is meant to be respected, not mixed with crime dramas for cheap entertainment value. As a Rajasthani, I want to say please do not mock the sacrifices of our heroes. Stop misrepresenting Rajasthani culture. #respecthistory #maharanapratap #shoorveer #saverajasthaniculture.”The page also wrote, “The song ‘Shoorveer’ was written to celebrate the legacy and dignity of warriors. Turning around and inserting it into a gangster drama without the artist’s knowledge is bad enough, but denying Rapperiya Baalam his rightful credits while everyone else gets theirs? That’s where the industry fails its independent creators. Mainstream platforms need to stop diluting regional history and bypassing legal courtesy.”
More users demand accountability from the makers
Several other users echoed similar sentiments, stating that the ‘Mirzapur’ makers should have sought Rapperiya’s approval before using the song. One comment read, “This is how the mainstream has repeatedly diluted and distorted Rajasthan’s history.” Another user wrote, “This is completely wrong. You cannot use someone’s song without their permission. Please file a copyright claim. We are with you and fully support you.”
About ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’
Directed by Gurmeet Singh and written by Puneet Krishna, ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ has been produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the Excel Entertainment banner. The cast includes Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar and Ravi Kishan, with the film drawing from the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Mirzapur’ (2018). While John Stewart Eduri has composed the film’s score, the music has been credited to Ray, Junaid Kumar, Anand Bhaskar and Dhanda Nyoliwala.