The much-awaited movie of 2022, Kantara was finally released on OTT giant Amazon Prime Video on November 24. After a series of postponements, Kantara was finally available for streaming in the Kannada language. Courtesy of its 2 months of a successful run on the big office, Rishab Shetty-directorial minted almost Rs 400 crore. Although the wait for the Kantara OTT release was finally over, fans expressed their disappointment after they watched it on Amazon Prime Video. As per reports, Kantara was released on Amazon Prime Video with a 'modified' Varaha Roopam. Therefore, fans who have watched on the big screens started slamming the OTT platform for running a lifetime experience. However, Kantara and Varaha Roopam's controversy is quite known and this might be the reason why the OTT platform released the movie with a slightly modified song.
For those who are unaware, Kerala-based rock band Thaikkudam Bridge accused the makers of Kantara of plagiarising the song Varaha Roopam from the band’s song Navarasam. This led the Principal District Court, Kozhikode (Kerala), to pass a temporary injunction, restricting the makers of the Kannada film from using Varaha Roopam in the film. Although Rishab Shetty is yet to address the change in the music, fans are upset to see that the ‘soul of the film’ Varaha Roopam is no longer the same.
After the film was released and Kantara's Varaha Roopam started buzzing, Thaikkudam Bridge took to social media and stated that the song was allegedly plagiarized and that they were intending to take legal action against the makers of Kantara. "The unavoidable similarities between our IP 'Navarasam' and 'Varaha Roopam' in terms of audio is therefore a blatant infringement of copyright laws. From our standpoint, the line between 'Inspired' and 'Plagiarized' is distinct and indisputable and therefore we will be seeking legal action against the creative team responsible for this', they had said.
About Kantara
The Kannada film Kantara, which translates to 'Mysterious Forest,' is written, directed, and starred by Rishab Shetty. It was made by Hombale Films (KGF Franchise). The movie begins with the opening plot back in the 18th century when a king gives a piece of land to the villagers in lieu of peace and joy. Several decades down the line, the descender of the king arrives at a Bhoota Kola (traditional dance in honor of the local deities) and threatens the tribals to return their land, however, ends up dying a tragic death. The film, which was released on September 30, is an action-thriller written and directed by Rishab and produced by Vijay Kiragandur.
Fans react to Kantara Varaha Roopam controversy
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A user wrote, "When you eagerly wait for #KantaraOnPrime and then see new version of varaha roopam.."
When you eagerly wait for #KantaraOnPrime and then see new version of varaha roopam.. pic.twitter.com/ABqEvdzM75
— MicroMan (@mahendra_swamy) November 24, 2022
"Everyone after watching #KantaraOnPrime without the original #varaharoopam," added another user.
Everyone after watching #KantaraOnPrime without the original #varaharoopam #Kantara #BringBackVarahaRoopam pic.twitter.com/hxZ6g1ghmZ
— ಗಂಡಭೇರುಂಡ (@gandaberunda111) November 24, 2022
Another user wrote, "The soul of Kantara "Varaha Roopam" has been altered in the OTT version. It doesn't feel like Kantara anymore. Man, this is depressing"
The soul of Kantara "Varaha Roopam" has been altered in the OTT version. It doesn't feel like Kantara anymore. Man, this is depressing 🥲😐 pic.twitter.com/1nlGScbC5a
— Viṣṇugupta (@MahaAmatya) November 23, 2022