Mirzapur: The Movie hit theatres on Friday, September 4, but the film has now landed in controversy over the use of a song. Rajasthani artist and rapper Rapperiya Baalam has alleged that his song Shoorveer, which is dedicated to Maharana Pratap, was used in the film for a scene featuring gangsters without his permission or credit.
Rapperiya Baalam took to Instagram to express his disappointment.
“Today, my heart is broken. Some of you may ask why my heart is broken. You might say I should be happy because my song is in Mirzapur. But the Mirzapur team did not take my permission to use my song. Who gave them the permission? I certainly did not,” he said.
The artist further pointed out that Shoorveer was created as a tribute to Maharana Pratap and questioned its use in a sequence that, according to him, glorifies the film’s gangsters.
“This song is dedicated to Maharana Pratap ji. We are using this song to glorify the villains in the movie. Is this right?” he said.
Rapperiya Baalam added that he would have been happy to collaborate had the makers approached him directly. “If the Mirzapur team had approached me and said, ‘Rapperiya bhai, we want to use your song,’ we would have given them 10 ideas. But taking the song without permission is not right,” he said.
He also questioned the copyright and licensing process behind the song’s inclusion in the film. “I don’t know who gave you these rights or from whom you obtained them. Whoever gave you the rights, I would like you to ask them: Do you have any copyright?” he added.
Calling the alleged use of the song an insult to Rajasthan and Maharana Pratap, the singer said, “Why wouldn’t it hurt? This is an insult to Rajasthan. It is an insult to Maharana Pratap ji, and we will not be able to tolerate this.”
Despite his disappointment, Rapperiya Baalam acknowledged the excitement among listeners who discovered the song in the film.
“Being the composer and singer of the song, and seeing millions of people listening to it, of course, your enthusiasm brings a lot of messages. Thousands of messages have come to me in DMs saying, ‘Brother, your song is in Mirzapur.’ But, Mirzapur team, you should have done this properly. You should have spoken to me,” he said.
He concluded by saying that he would continue with whatever action he feels is necessary. “Anyway, whatever action needs to be taken will continue,” he said.
Meanwhile, several internet users have backed Rapperiya Baalam and taken to social media to support his stand.
One user wrote, “It is disheartening to see the song Shoorveer, a tribute to the legendary Veer Shiromani Maharana Pratap Singh Ji of Mewar, being used in the Mirzapur movie to glorify fictional gangsters. History is meant to be respected, not mixed with crime dramas for cheap entertainment. As a Rajasthani, I want to say: please do not mock the sacrifices of our heroes. Stop misrepresenting Rajasthani culture.”
For now, the makers of Mirzapur: The Movie have not responded to the allegations.
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