The album cover of Navarasam, composed by Kerala band Thaikkudam Bridge

Thaikkudam Bridge plans to seek legal aid to get to the bottom of the issue
BOMBAY TIMES (October 29, 2022)

In the midst of its dream run, the Kannada film Kantara seems to have hit a roadblock. Thaikkudam Bridge, a Kerala-based multi-genre music band, has accused the team of plagiarizing their 2015 release, Navarasam.

In a statement on social media, the band said, “We would like our listeners to know that Thaikkudam Bridge is in no way or form affiliated with Kantara. The unavoidable similarities between our IP Navarasam and Varaha Roopam in terms of audio is, therefore, a blatant infringement of copyright laws.”

The latter, composed by Kannada musician Ajaneesh Loknath, was uploaded just five days ago.

The Kerala band, formed in 2013, features composer and playback singer Govind Vasantha, known for his work in movies like 96, Hey Sinamika, and Soorarai Pottru. Navarasam was the title track of the independent band’s 2015 debut eponymous album.
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AJANEESH LOKNATH, THE MUSIC COMPOSER OF KANTARA, SAID THIS ABOUT HIS WORK IN THE FILM IN A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW:
I consciously ensure I do not harm folk songs by understanding their sensibilities while composing them for films. It also shows that we have to return to our roots. I am happy that subjects in films are coming up that can accommodate folk songs.