The film Mirzapur was released in theaters on September 4.
A legal notice has been sent to the makers of ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ over the use of ‘Shoorveer’, a song created by Rapperiya Baalam on Maharana Pratap.
Why is the song being opposed?
Rapperiya Baalam’s spokesperson Raghuvir Singh claimed that the song was used without permission in violent scenes featuring Munna Bhaiya. He said the team would not have objected if it were used in a patriotic film, but objected to its use for a drug-addicted character in Mirzapur.
He said the song was created to introduce youngsters to the bravery of Maharana Pratap and should not be misused.
Three demands in the notice
- The notice reportedly demands that the makers:
- Remove ‘Shoorveer’ from the film.
- Publicly apologise for its use.
Build a school in Maharana Pratap’s name in his village.
Singh said, “They should have had enough sense to know which character they were using the song for.”
The song ‘Shoorveer’ has been placed over this scene in Mirzapur, in which Divyendu, playing Munna Bhaiya, is firing bullets.
Who owns the song and why did Trooper Records license it?
Raghuveer Singh said ‘Shoorveer’ was created in 2020 by Rapperiya Baalam and Trooper Records. According to him, Trooper Records initially uploaded the song on its channel, but later stopped responding when Rapperiya Baalam raised questions about the documentation.
Singh claimed that Rapperiya Baalam later registered the song in his own name and created a series of nine songs, including ‘Shoorveer’. He alleged that Trooper Records did not hold the rights to license the song to Excel Entertainment.
Singh called the alleged licensing deal a betrayal and questioned why the song was given away for money when it was created to honour Maharana Pratap and Rajasthan’s pride.
What is the ‘Shoorveer’ controversy?
‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ released on September 4, featuring ‘Shoorveer’ in a violent scene. After the release, Rapperiya Baalam claimed that the song was used without his permission.
He said the song celebrates Maharana Pratap’s bravery, while the film uses it in a scene involving a villain. This, according to him, changes the meaning of the song and misrepresents what it was created for.
Music company that released the song gave copyright to the Mirzapur team
Singer Rapperiya Baalam claims that he holds the copyrights to the song; however, Trooper Records, which released the song, has denied this claim. Furthermore, amidst the controversy, the company has also granted the rights to this song to the makers of Mirzapur.
Attempt made to contact Farhan Akhtar, no response received
Rapperiya Baalam’s team tried to contact Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the owners of Excel Entertainment, the makers of Mirzapur. There has been no response from Farhan’s side, while Ritesh replied to the message saying that his team would look into the matter.
