Composer Mithoon reacts to the recent plagiarism of his track Tum Hi Ho in an American rap song
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; December 22, 2018)

American rapper T-Pain’s latest track, That’s Yo Money used Mithoon’s original composition Tum Hi Ho from the 2013 hit Aashiqui 2. The track was blocked online, soon enough, on grounds of copyright issues. Not just that, the American composer got severe criticism on social media, when he denied the allegations in an alleged racist slur. In a candid chat with BT the composer of the hit song talks about plagiarism and more. Excerpts…

Thousands of songs release online every day and it can get tough keeping a track on plagiarism. When and how did you find out that your hook tune from Tum Hi Ho (Aashiqui 2, 2013) was used, uncredited, by T-Pain in his song?
A couple of days back, I woke up to my friend and director Mohit Suri’s call in the morning. A friend of his brought it to his attention and he did the same for me. When I heard T-Pain’s track, I clearly heard my melody and that’s when I reacted to it. The song is not just about me — I believe that good work does not belong to just one man. Many people are emotionally attached to the song; people who have actually cried after hearing it. I’m happy that even five years after I created the tune, it is still popular around the world. I definitely see this as a positive. I just want people to be more responsible and why not; tomorrow, there could be something that I want to use in my composition and I should do it the right way. I think collaborations should be encouraged, so that we can create a one-world vision.

You tweeted to T-Pain, but the rapper’s response was pretty non-committal…
I’m not in a position to comment on his response. T-Pain said in his tweet that he has never heard the melody before and my intention was to bring it to his notice that the melody he had used was created by another artiste and the song is already quite popular. This was from one artiste to another. I thought I must put forward the voice of billions of people who have listened to the track. I think respect and credit should be given where it is due.

Have you taken any action on the matter? Are you aware about the laws and rules to prevent plagiarism?
I am well versed with the law, but as an artiste, I am supposed to communicate what is my thought and opinion. I did speak to the label about this and they, as per law, immediately pulled the video down. The future course of action will be decided by the music label and not by me. I am sure that whatever will happen, will be in accordance to the law.

What are your thoughts about artistes borrowing inspiration to create their own work?
Actually, I believe the word ‘inspired’ has a relative connotation, though it is a beautiful word. To be truly inspired is to take art to the next level. Inspiration is something that you breathe in and then bring it out in a brand new way. It is like giving birth to a child. Over the years, I have been inspired by many artistes and there have been many who have openly said that they feel inspired when they hear my compositions. I feel proud and bless them. When I hear the work of other artistes, I acknowledge that they have been inspired by my work, but then I see their own point of view, too.

Are you aware of the term ‘sampling’, that’s what T-Pain claimed was responsible for it?
A lot of people have written to me about the process of sampling. It is about how different artistes work with samples — without knowing the source of the music, they take it. I don’t think that is a great creative process. There should be some kind of accountability, some responsibility to the source of the music, too.

Do you feel that in the digital world, the sheer volume of numbers can mask plagiarism and make it hard to spot imitations?
I think every artiste needs to learn about self-accountability and be responsible, because it’s not humanly possible to notice every case. The reason why I chose to be a musician was to create music that would first nourish me, satisfy me and then the world.

Technology has also brought the world a lot closer now. What do you have to say about modern creative collaborations?
I think there is a lot of change now with the internet becoming such a strong mode of communication. Twenty years back, what would happen on another continent would seldom make it to the rest of the world. Today, there is a lot more transparency and creative communication happening globally. There are so many songs from the West that strike a chord with Indian listeners and vice versa. The world has become a small place and it’s a good thing — it’s just that every artiste should be responsible. India has a lot of potential of songwriters, poets and vocalists, and the future looks bright. Talent needs to be nurtured and original music needs to be encouraged.

It’s been five years since Tum Hi Ho, what are you looking forward to now?
I have moved on from Tum Hi Ho, because I feel my best is yet to come. I am looking at my first English film featuring Steven Baldwin, where I have composed all songs. It’s my first movie with a big Bollywood banner and I am doing the entire album. My next Hindi film with Mohit Suri is also on the way.