Whose song is this anyway?

The verse was a war cry. It stirred souls, electrified the air and galvanised people like the legendary Pied Piper of Hamelin did. Each rendition of the song yielded thunderous ovation as also droves of inspired hearts heaving with the desire for ‘action’. Never did one question, “Whose is this song?”

Now the question has arrived. The song, Em pillado eldamostava… penned by revolutionary poet Vangapandu Prasada Rao has raked up a controversy this time.

The lustful call of a love-sick damsel in the mega flick Magadheera has infuriated all those who nurtured fond memories of Srikakulam movement 40 years ago. Writer Vangapandu came down all the way to stage a demonstration in front of film maker Allu Aravind’s house and demanded removal of the line and also a public apology.

“Folk songs are born of the hardships of people, and portray their life and travails. Rural people have music imbibed in their veins and only I can write such a song. Let Allu Aravind or Chandra Bose try it,” challenges Vangapandu.

The song is especially cherished because it invokes, in its various cantos, Left movements such as Naxalbari and Telangana. It stimulated hundreds to join the Srikakulam movement that sent shivers along the spines of the landlords during 1967-70. “The movement can be likened to Spanish Civil War as it inspired wide array of literary works,” recalls P.Varavara Rao, the founder-member of Virasam.

However, the revolutionary poet-writer does not believe in claims of copy right. Every tune in the world is a folk tune, he says.

“Once the verse is out, it no more belongs to the poet. Problem arises only when it is commoditised. Revolutionary literature belongs to people,” he says.

He says that Em pillado… too traces its origins to times much before to its being penned down. Only the cantos varied each time according to the context.

“All the same, I’m against the distorted use in the movie. Earlier, there were instances when revolutionary songs were used for the same purpose in movies. The present case is, however, different because it hurt people’s sentiments,” he says.

He also recalls another instance of plagiarism in the movie ‘People’s Encounter’. In the movie, the radical song ‘Ee ooru manadiro, ee vaada manadiro’ by Guda Anjaiah was used with change in wording, allegedly to spread the “anti-naxalite” message.

Allam Narayana, another writer, even while vociferously opposing the use of the song, feels that the author has no legal claim.

“The movie makers could have used some other line instead of hurting so many people,” he says.


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