Controversial remix version of the Rangabati song is still running in youtube. Almost one year has passed. Last year, the whole western Odisha emotionally got rallied on behind the issue and opposed the act of destructing the ethos of popular song from western Odisha. It was observed; it touched the emotional chord of the folks of the region. People from all sections opposed the derogation of Rangabati by Sona Mohapatra and Co.
Ranbati is originally sung by Jitendriya Haripal and Krishna Patel where as the lyric is by Mitrabhaun Gauntia and composed by Prabhudatta Pradhan. It was first aired by the All India Radio studio in Sambalpur in mid-seventies. After it became hugely popular, a music company, Indreco, bought the rights and released it around 1978.
The controversy erupts when the fusion version of the song by Sona Mohapatra and Rituraj Mohanty was aired on MTV Coke Studio Channel 4 on June 5. The remix version of Rangabati, a Kosali/Sambalpuri song sung by Sona Mohapatra and Bande Utkal Janani an Odia patriotic song, sung by India’s Raw Star fame Rituraj Mohanty. It was mixed and produced by music composer Ram Sampath.
The western parts of the state accused them of plagiarism and distortion. Sambalpuri/Kosali language is spoken in western parts, which is almost a half of the state’s area.
The youth wing of BJP lodged a complaint against Bollywood singers Sona Mohapatra and Rituraj Mohanty at a police station in Odisha’s Sambalpur district. The Bhartiya Janata Yuba Morcha said, first, they did not take permission from the original lyricist and composer and, second, they have distorted the song hurting the feelings of millions of people in western Odisha.
The original lyricist Mitrabhanu Gauntia and composer Prabhudatta Pradhan filed a defamation suit for Rs 1 cr against those involved in remaking the song. Those named in the suit include Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Hindustan Coca Cola Holdings Pvt Ltd, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd, singer Sona Mohapatra, musician Ram Sampath and co-singer Rituraj Mohanty.
Supreme Court lawyer, Sagar Kumar Pradhan, on behalf of the Gauntia and Pradhan, said that the copyright of the song lies with Prabhudatta Pradhan and Mitrabhanu Gauntia and no permission had been sought from them for reproduction of the song. The remake of the song is in violation of the Copyright Act, the notice said. In view of this, the telecast of the song should be stopped immediately and the defendants must settle the defamation suit amounting to Rs 1 crore within 15 days, it added.
Sona Mohapatra said her intention was not to hurt anyone but to bring her home state, Odisha, into the spotlight. “I’m just saddened and it’s just hurtful. The intention was not to hurt anyone, least of all, the people I want to pay homage to. We got a beautiful opportunity in Coke Studio, which is a cross-cultural platform where different cultures merge with modern music to reach out to a whole different audience”.
We observed that, Sona Mohapatra was struggling to find a niche for herself. Perhaps she chooses controversy to get highlighted. Cases were filed, defamation suit was filed, memorandums from many socio-cultural organistions were submitted even to the Prime minister but still the distorted version is running in youtube. Nothing happened. here is the remix version of Rangabati