SLUMDOG RUNS INTO CONTROVERSY OVER SONG CREDIT
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By Meena Iyer, TNN
Times of India
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mumbai - The odds are in its favour at the Oscars to be
announced on February 22, but Danny Boyle's Slumdog
Millionaire also has a raging controversy dogging it.
The song 'Darshan Do Ghanshyam Nath Mori' sung by a blind
beggar in the film is credited to 15th century poet Surdas
on the show, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. But, according
to N S Nepali, the son of late poet-lyricist Gopal Singh
Nepali, the original song was written by his father for the
1957 film Narsi Bhagat.
Nepali, who saw Slumdog at a theatre in Mumbai a few days
ago, says he is distraught at the makers of Slumdog for
"overlooking this fact". "Even in the options to the
question 'Who wrote the song 'Darshan do", the film shows
the names: Surdas, Tulsidas, Mirabai or Kabir," says
Nepali. "They have not given my father's name as one of the
options. I'm devastated."
Nepali says his father, who was one of the renowned poets
of the 50s, died in 1964. "And it is great disservice to
his name that he misses out on the credit for a song that
he and music director Ravi made famous."
Nepali admits that Surdas has over 1,500 poems to his name,
but, he says, 'Darshan do Ghanshyam' was definitely not one
of them. "Another song, 'Ankhiya hari darshan ko pyasi',
written by Surdas, also expresses a similar sentiment and
this is the song that should have been featured. But
Slumdog clearly mentions 'Darshan do', which is a song from
the film Narsi Bhagat.
"My father didn't go to temples. Though he may have been
inspired by spiritual writings of several poets and
writers, this song is definitely an original piece of
work," says Nepali.
Avid music collector Amod Mehra agrees that 'Darshan do'
sung by Hemant Kumar, Sudha Malhotra and Mannadey is indeed
a G S Nepali composition.
Mehra says, "Surdas, whose original name was Bilwa Mangal
(before he poked burning iron rods in his eyes and lost his
sight), wrote several other bhajans in praise of Lord
Krishna, but the one used in Slumdog is not one of them."
Nepali has also emailed Vikas Swarup, the author of Q&A,
the novel on which Slumdog Millionaire is based, but he
says he has not received any response from the London-based
author.
Bollywood lyricist Sameer, who has penned over 4,000 songs
in 500 films, says, "I know that G S Nepali wrote the song
'Darshan do' for the film Narsi Bhagat. It had music by
Ravi. In fact, I met Ravi saab a couple of days ago and he
did raise the issue of how he was planning to take up the
matter of how the makers of Slumdog Millionaire overlooked
this fact. However, I'm not entirely sure of whether G S
Nepali saab was inspired by Surdas's writings or whether
'Darshan do' is a completely original piece of work."
Sameer added, "There were no stringent copyright laws in
the 50s. But I'm of the firm opinion that the original
writer should be given credit, if it is due."
Sameer also cited the example of how his song 'Chamma
Chamma' (China Gate) was used by Baz Luhrman in the Nicole
Kidman-film Moulin Rouge and how he was denied credit. "I
didn't even get a single rupee from the music company or
the foreign studio that used my song. I didn't even get an
acknowledgement. That is gross injustice to me as the
writer of the song," says Sameer.
Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star, the distributors of Slumdog
said, "We were not aware of this. We will speak to Vikas
Swarup and the people concerned in the production house.
More at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Slumdog-gave-wrong-answer/articleshow/4131333.cms
Jai Maharaj
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Om Shanti
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L8 nuz
>
> Jai Maharajhttp://tinyurl.com/24fq83http://www.mantra.com/jaihttp://www.mantra.com/jyotish
> Om Shanti
>
> Hindu Holocaust Museumhttp://www.mantra.com/holocaust
>
> Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophyhttp://www.hindu.orghttp://www.hindunet.org
>
> The truth about Islam and Muslimshttp://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate
I just decided (last Friday) to see THE WRESTLER on Saturday, GRAN
TORINO on Sunday and SLUMDOG today. So I went to see THE WRESTLER 2
days ago: an insanely piece of shit. No story, no twists, no nothing.
Now I have to admit that I hate wrestling, which is just another
method (along religion, trash TV, worst schools in the western world,
etc) to brainwash the American kids and keep the slave population
under control.
Anyways, the Saturday’s experience made me wait for the gran torino
and slumdog dvd’s
Damn! And I really liked Rourke in Nine ½ Weeks …
harmony
we had to get it out of our system.
so the same evening we saw pink panther 2 with steve martin as the klutz
detective. you should see steve trying to help out the pope.
<use...@mantra.com and/or www.mantra.com/jai (Dr. Jai Maharaj)> wrote in
message news:20090215AS0eO8fF8x1X3o4LGj6yo2Y@MZ6zv...
Bholu
> i, and friends, saw this movie this weekend.
> we had to get it out of our system.
> so the same evening we saw pink panther 2 with steve martin as the klutz
> detective. you should see steve trying to help out the pope.
Nikal gai shyshtam se?
Thanks bud.
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
but haven't watched it yet -- don't know if ever will, unless
a certain party forces it upon those present at a certain after-Oscars
party . . .
Jai Maharaj
http://tinyurl.com/24fq83
http://www.mantra.com/jai
http://www.mantra.com/jyotish
Om Shanti
In article <4999c6b4$0$5487$bbae...@news.suddenlink.net>,
"harmony" <a...@hotmail.com> posted:
>
> i, and friends, saw this movie this weekend.
> we had to get it out of our system.
> so the same evening we saw pink panther 2 with steve martin as the klutz
> detective. you should see steve trying to help out the pope.
> Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
harmony
you gotta see that one and see steve help the pope get his stolen ring back.
<use...@mantra.com and/or www.mantra.com/jai (Dr. Jai Maharaj)> wrote in
message news:20090217PdPY4y679TSBk1Pk1NtnH7t@UY49Q...
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
Pink Panther movie without Peter Sellers?
Jai Maharaj
http://tinyurl.com/24fq83
http://www.mantra.com/jai
http://www.mantra.com/jyotish
Om Shanti
In article <499c803e$0$5494$bbae...@news.suddenlink.net>,
"harmony" <a...@hotmail.com> posted:
> dr. jai maharaj ji, did you see pink panther 2?
> you gotta see that one and see steve help the pope get his stolen ring back.
> Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
>
> > I have a Director's Cut DVD of the project sitting here somewhere
> > but haven't watched it yet -- don't know if ever will, unless
> > a certain party forces it upon those present at a certain after-Oscars
> > party . . .
> >
> > Jai Maharaj
> > In article <4999c6b4$0$5487$bbae...@news.suddenlink.net>,