Renowned music composer Pritam has spoken out against plagiarism accusations linked to ‘Mashooqa’, a newly released track from ‘Cocktail 2’, expressing his frustration over the criticism circulating on social media. Shortly after the song dropped, controversy erupted online when multiple users claimed its melody bore a striking resemblance to the 1993 Italian number ‘Se So Arrubate A Nonna’. The backlash didn’t stop there, the situation also prompted netizens to dig up and revisit past plagiarism charges previously leveled against the composer.
Pritam breaks his silence on Instagram
Taking to his Instagram Story to address the growing uproar, Pritam didn’t hold back as he hit out at those pointing fingers at him. “Every single one of my song releases comes with a set of self-appointed music detectives, who have created a new genre called ‘imaginary similarities’. Same people, same ‘inspired by’ thesis.. Boss, at this point, you are my unpaid PR team..I just want to say guys, NOT NICE,” he wrote.
Online comparisons put Pritam in the spotlight
Pritam’s reaction followed a surge in online chatter surrounding the song, as users drew comparisons between ‘Mashooqa’ and the Italian track, raising questions about whether its melody had been directly borrowed from the original.
Reddit post triggers storm around Pritam’s ‘Mashooqa’
The debate was sparked when a Reddit user posted side-by-side videos of ‘Mashooqa’ and the original 1993 Italian track, highlighting what they believed were clear musical similarities between the two. The clip quickly gained traction, with a wave of social media users chiming in to argue that the two songs sounded strikingly alike. Many didn’t hold back in their criticism of both the track and its composer. “It’s still a dull song even after Pritam copied it,” one person wrote. Another commented, “Bollywood copying again?” A third said, “It sounds the same.”
Fans defend Pritam, calling it sampling not copying
Meanwhile, a section of Pritam’s supporters pushed back against the accusations, drawing a distinction between inspiration and outright copying. One Reddit user wrote, “This is called sampling, not stealing/copying. It’s when you take the main beat of a song and layer other instruments over it with changed lyrics. It’s a very popular concept in the music industry. Pitbull, Taylor Swift, Kanye and many more artists also sample songs,” suggesting that the composer may have simply built upon the Italian track rather than lifted it without credit.
All about Pritam’s ‘Mashooqa’ and the Italian track
‘Mashooqa’ is a composition by Pritam, penned by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and lent voice by Raghav Chaitanya and Mahmood Ruaa Kayy, with the Italian segments written and performed by Mahmood. The song’s visuals follow Kriti and Shahid’s characters as they journey across various destinations, gradually falling for each other. On the other side, the track it has been compared to, ‘Se So Arrubate A Nonna’, is a Neapolitan number by Italian duo Bibi and Coco, which came out in 1993 as part of their album ‘Le Origini Vol. 2’. Its title loosely translates to “The Kidnapped Grandma” in the Neapolitan dialect. While the song failed to make a significant mark globally upon its release, it has since built a devoted following and earned cult status over the years.
Pritam’s ‘Cocktail 2’ set for June 19 release
Directed by Homi Adajania, ‘Cocktail 2’ is a follow-up to the popular 2012 film ‘Cocktail’, which starred Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty. The movie will arrive in cinemas on June 19. Back on social media, the argument over ‘Mashooqa’ shows no signs of dying down, with users split between those who feel the song is a copy and those who believe it is simply inspired by ‘Se So Arrubate A Nonna’. Amid all the noise, Pritam has stood his ground and made it clear that he strongly disagrees with the plagiarism claims being thrown his way.
