‘Genda Phool’ credit row: Badshah says Ratan Kahar’s name not in records, but will help him financially

PTI, Apr 1, 2020, 9:14 AM IST

Mumbai: Rapper Badshah on Tuesday, March 31 denied allegations that he used folk artiste Ratan Kahar’s lyrics in his track ‘Genda Phool’ without credits, saying he could not find the lyricist’s name anywhere in the records.

The music video, starring Jacqueline Fernandez, is among the top trends on YouTube but a section of social media users has pointed out how the song does not mention Kahar’s name.

Taking to Instagram, Badshah said as an artiste, he would never rob another of his credit. He mentions the lyrics as ‘Bengali folk’ as Kahar’s name was nowhere in the records.

“It took us time to speak to you because we were trying to find his name in the records. But then a lot of people started tagging me. There is a documentary on him, in which he mentions that he has written this song. To me, as per the records, it is a Bengali folk song,” the singer said.

Badshah said that the term folk implies a song of the people. he said, “I am sure he is a great artiste. It is such a beautiful composition and piece of music and I just wanted to sample it in a song and I wanted the whole world to listen to it.”

“Whosoever has tweeted me and all those who made this documentary and his well wishers, I want you to reach out to Ratan Kahar and tell him that I am here and he can reach out to me, I would love to help him. I have heard he is struggling financially and I want all my friends from the fraternity to support folk artistes,” he added.

The rapper said that he would love to help the artiste in “whatever form I can, on humanitarian, artistic grounds”

“But as of now, as per records, it’s a Bengali folk song. It’s not in the records that it’s written by Ratan Kahar ji. I have no qualms in helping him. if there was no lockdown, I would have come and met you. People are saying I have taken his credit but there’s nothing like that. When we have given credit to everyone, who has worked on the video and audio why wouldn’t we mention his name? It is about just two lines,” Badshah said.

Kahar, who is in his 70s and hails from Birbhum in West Bengal, claimed that he wrote the song but never got any recognition for it. His song has been recreated in the past as well.

“The lyrics of this song were written by me and music composition was also mine. But I never got any recognition for the song and it pains me a lot. I am Ratan Kahar, who never got recognised for the song. You judge what kind of justice is that,” Kahar said.

The folk artiste appealed to writers and literary personalities to protest against the plagiarism.

“There are so many writers and good people around us but nobody protested. Those singing the song don’t understand its spirit and ruin its earthiness,” he added.

Kahar said that he first got to know that his song was used in the video after a theatre personality showed the video to him.

“I was aghast. Will these things continue?” he asked.