Outrage over AR Rahman's rendition of Bengali poet Nazrul Islam's freedom struggle song
'Act of sacrilege'
Kolkata, Nov 11: A controversy has erupted over AR Rahman's rendition of a popular song of legendary Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam in a new Bollywood film, with the litterateur's family and common people expressing outrage over the "distortion" in rhythm and tunes.
The rendition of 'Karar oi louho kopat' (Iron bars of a jail) was released in war movie 'Pippa', starring Ishaan Khatter and Mrunal Thakur in lead roles.
Nazrul's grandson and painter Kazi Anirban told PTI on Saturday, "My mother had given her consent for using the song for the movie but not for changing the tunes. The way the song has been dished out with the change in rhythm and tunes is shocking."
Nazrul Islam, popularly known as the 'rebel poet', is the national poet of Bangladesh and is a revered and much-loved figure in India's West Bengal.
Nazrul's granddaughter Anindita Kazi said in a voice message from the United States: "As members of his family and lovers of his creations, we cannot accept this distortion. We want it to be immediately omitted from the film and removed from the public domain."
Popular Bengali singer Haimanti Shukla said sentiments have been hurt by the "act of sacrilege".
"I wonder how a composer like AR Rahman could make this happen... No such tinkering with songs of Kazi Nazrul Islam can be allowed. It is shameful for the Bengali singers who were part of the rendition. I am deeply outraged," she said.
The lyrics of the song was first published in 'Banglar Katha' magazine in 1922 and was included in Nazrul's book of poems 'Bhangar Gaan'. It was first recorded in 1949 by a famous label and then in 1952 by another record label.
The rendition also created a social media outrage, with netizens wondering whether Rahman did research before dishing out the song.
Historian-researcher Chinmoy Guha, however, criticised the outrage, claiming that Bengalis are expressing ire despite seldom caring to read or listen to Nazrul's works.
Rahman, however, could not be contacted for remarks on the controversy.
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CM Siddaramaiah urges Centre to increase LPG supply
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the Centre to immediately intervene to address a severe shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru, saying the crisis is forcing restaurants and related establishments to shut down and impacting a wide cross-section of the public dependent on the hospitality sector.
In a letter written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday and shared with the media on Thursday, Siddaramaiah highlighted a sharp mismatch between demand and supply, noting that only a fraction of the required cylinders is being made available.
“As against the demand of 50,000 LPG cylinders from restaurants, hotels, catering establishments and PG accommodations etc., we are able to supply only 1,000 cylinders per day,” the Chief Minister said.
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He added that the shortage has led to a visible increase in shutting down of establishments due to unavailability of commercial LPG, affecting students, IT professionals, farmers, dairy producers and others reliant on the hospitality ecosystem.
Referring to recent directions from the Ministry prioritising domestic LPG supply, Siddaramaiah said the State has taken steps to regulate allocation for essential segments in line with the Centre’s guidelines, but the situation remains critical.
The CM also flagged the absence of an integrated monitoring system for commercial LPG distribution, in contrast to the existing IT system for domestic gas supply, leading to gaps in transparency and oversight.
He further pointed out that Auto LPG, a key fuel for autorickshaws that provide last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru, is also facing similar issues due to the lack of a monitoring mechanism.
Noting that India is expected to receive two LPG tankers soon, Siddaramaiah sought the Union Minister’s intervention to ensure adequate allocation to Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, considering its operational needs and dependency patterns.
“I request your kind intervention to ensure adequate allocation and availability of commercial LPG and Auto LPG to Karnataka, keeping in view the operational requirements and unique dependency patterns of the State, especially city of Bengaluru,” he said.
