In a collective effort against the distorted rendition of Kazi Nazrul Islam's iconic song "Karar oi Louho Kopat" in the Bollywood film 'Pippa,' various music organizations in Bangladesh came together to voice their protest.
However, the altered composition by AR Rahman has sparked dissatisfaction among admirers of Kazi Nazrul Islam. Calls have emerged demanding the immediate removal of the song from the film. In response, artists from different organizations in Bangladesh took the stage at the Mukta Mancha of the Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.
The Bangladesh Music Co-ordination Council, Radharaman Cultural Research Center and Amra Ekattor, jointly organized the event to present a unified vocal protest against the distortion of the song. Artists from various organizations in Dhaka, Kolkata, London, and other places where Bengali communities reside, sang the original version of the song at 4pm local time.
In an official statement, the Music Co-ordination Council expressed, "The filmmakers of Bollywood's 'Pippa' have distorted the revered song 'Karar oi Louho Kopat,' originally composed by the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. We condemn this misrepresentation and call for the removal of the distorted version from the film."
Radharaman Dutta, the maestro behind "Dhamal" songs in Bengali music, is being commemorated through the event. Born in 1833 in Jagannathpur, Sunamganj, Radharaman Dutta is considered the father of Dhamal songs, contributing more than 2000 songs to Bengali folk music.
The protest, named the "Thirteenth Radharaman Loko Sangeet Utsav," is centered around the demand for the reconstruction of the Radharaman Complex.
Over the two-day festival, various artists presented their renditions.
