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Pritam [Hindi]

 
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Shikdum [Dhoom (2004)] <TC> 
Lifted off Turkish singer Tarkan's 'Sikidim'.
Listen to Shikdum | Sikidim
Yes, a direct lift. Had previously mentioned this as being inspired by 'Simarik' thanks to the confusion caused by Indian TV channels over that song. But this particular song is lifted straight of 'Sikidim'. A lesser known indi-pop singer, Sanjay Raina, has alleged that the track was a lift from his track by the same name that was part of his 1996 album, 'Hungama'. As a response, Pritam lets his cat out of the bag, and says that he was inspired by Tarkan's track and not Sanjay's! While I have not been able to get Sanjay's number, here are the other 2 tracks! And, if Sanjay's tune does sound similar to these tracks then its got to be first of the 3 since Tarkan's song was released as part of his 1999 album, 'Olurum Sana'. (Report in IndiaFM, Hindustan Times)
Trivia: This is one error that's still doing the rounds. Tarkan has a couple of chartbusters in his 1999 album, 'Olurum Sana' (Meaning, 'I'd die for you'). One of them was Simarik, that had an interesting music video shot amidst narrow lanes and a group of girls try to kiss Tarkan. This song got a lot of airtime in Indian channels and for some strange reason every channel got the name of this song wrong - they claimed the song's name was 'Sikidim', while Sikidim was another different song in the same album. 
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'Zahreeli raatein', 'Bheega bheega sa' & 'Halka halka sa'  [Chocolate (2005)] <TC>
Lifted off Jal's 'Aadat', Abrar-ul-Haq's 'December' & Jesse Cook's 'Breeze from Saintes Maries', respectively!
Listen to Zahreeli Raatein | Aadat
Listen to Bheega bheega sa | December
Listen to Halka halka sa | Breeze from Saintes Maries
'Zahreeli Raatein' is like a faster, DJ'ish version of Jal's 'Aadat' while 'Bheega bheega sa' is a straight lift from Abrar Ul Haq's song with the same words (his version is called 'December', however) that was part of his 2001 album 'Main Gaddi Aap Chalawan Ga'. Jesse Cook's 'Breeze from Saintes Maries' was part of his 2004 album 'Montreal'!
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'Dil samundar', 'Chori Chori', 'Ana' and 'Falak dekhoon' [Garam Masala (2005)] <TC>
Lifted off Turkish singer Tarkan's 'Kuzu kuzu' (2001), Dr Zeus/ Balwinder Safri's 'Hai rabba' (2003), Amr Diab's 'Ana' (1999) and a combination of Amr Diab's Wala Ala Balo (prelude) & Sadda'ny Khalas (main tune) from Diab's 2001 album, Akhtar Wahed.
Listen to Dil samandar | Kuzu kuzu
Listen to Chori Chori (Sukhwinder Singh, Hema Sardesai) | Chori Chori (Labh Jajua) | Hai Rabba
Listen to Adaa | Ana
Listen to Falak dekhoon | Wala Ala Baloh (prelude) | Sadda'ny Khalas (main tune)
Considering that he had already lifted Turkish superstar Tarkan in Dhoom, this is a dead give-away! The prelude is the same, while the parts with 'dooba dooba...' are again lifted straight off the 'kuzu kuzu' part in the original. But, strangely enough, the main tune which goes, 'dil samandar' does not seem to be a direct lift! But just one listen to the complete samples below (don't stop mid way!!) would easily prove the inspiration!

With regard to the second lift, what's particularly baffling is the second version of the same song in the soundtrack, sung by none other than Labh Jajua, better known for his work for Punjabi MC. Given the fact both Jajua/ Punjabi MC and folks like Dr Zeus/ Balwinder Safri belong to the same UK Bhangra scene, its rather startling that Labh Jajua chose to be part of an uncredited version of this track. Is Labh so poorly clued in to his own music scene that he didn't know the source of this track or did he simply ignore the source blinded by the greens offered by the music label Venus?

The 3rd lift, of that in 'Adaa' seems more like a strong influence 'cos of the sheer number of things that Pritam has added to his version. But the basic thread is from Amr Diab's track.

As for the 4th lift, the extended prelude is lifted directly off Amr Diab's 'Wala ala baloh' from his 2001 album Akhtar Wahed. I had assumed that the main tune is Pritam's own and gave him the benefit of doubt, by not adding this track. I couldn't have been more wrong - the tune is lifted from - no surprises here! - Amr Diab's 'Sadda'ny Khalas', from the same damn album, Akhtar Wahed!!
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Jhoom [Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina (2005)] <TC>
Lifted from Britney Spears' commercial for Pepsi, 'Joy of Pepsi' (2001, 2002)!
Listen to Jhoom | Joy of Pepsi
A lift from an Advt.!! Pritam sure is going places!
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Chhoren ki baatein and Joshilay jawan ho [Fight Club (2006)] <TC>
Direct lift from Pakistani singer Ali Zafar's 'Channo ki aankhen' from his 2003 album 'Huqa Pani' and Egyptian singer Ihab (Ehab) Tawfik's 'Allah alek ya siedi' from his 2002 album, Homa Kelmeten, respectively.
Listen to Chhore ki baatein | Channo ki aankhen
Joshilay jawan | Allah alek ya siedi
Ali Zafar's Rangeen (from the same album) has been lifted by Himesh in Aashiq Banaya Aapne! Fight Club's CD does credit Ali Zafar for the source track. So, Pritam gets away scot-free this time!
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Akhiyaan Na Maar, Jal Jal Ke [Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (2005)] <TC>
The first one lifted from Pakistani singer Waris Baig's 2004 track, 'Challa' while the second is a lift from Yuri Mrakadi's 2001 track, 'Arabiyon Ana'.
Listen to Akhiyaan na maar | Challa
Listen to Jal jal ke | Arabyion Ana
Waris Baig's 2004 album, Aaja Nach Lay had the track Challa. Pritam's versions are considerably souped up, and catchier....but of course such things don't take away the fact that its copied!
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Dhoom machaale [Dhoom (2004)] <TC>
Opening 2 lines lifted off Jesse Cook's 'Mario takes a walk' while the catchy hook has been ripped off Egyptian singer Amr Diab's Enta Ma Oltesh Leh, from the 2003 album, Allem Alby.
Listen to Dhoom machale | Mario takes a walk | Enta Ma Oltesh Leh
Congrats Pritam...your most popular number is nothing but a very clever mix of 2 other tracks - with no credit to any original artist, as usual! Hats off on you taking the simple art of plagiarism to the next level by innovatively fusing two completely disparate tracks into one chartbuster material!
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Ya ali, Lamha lamha, Bheegi bheegi & Tu hi meri shab hai [Gangster (2006)] <TC>
Bheegi bheegi is inspired legitimately (!!) by Mohiner Ghoraguli's Bangla jibhonmuki gaan, 'Prithibi'! 'Ya ali' is a direct lift from the Arabic band Guitara's 'Ya ghaly' (from their 2002 album, Qisati), Lamha lamha is lifted from Waris Baig's 1998 track, 'Kal shab dekha maine', while 'Tu hi meri shab hai' is a direct lift from 'Sacral Nirvana' by Oliver Shanti & Friends.
Listen to Bheegi bheegi | Prithibi
Listen to Ya ali | Ya ghaly
Listen to Lamha lamha | Kal shab dekha
Listen to Tu hi meri shab hai | Sacral Nirvana
The album sleeve does have a credit note to Gautam Chatterjee! More on Mohiner Ghoraghuli! Was it because this is an Indian lift and the rest are from outside? Strange justice Pritam follows! 'Ya ali' and 'Tu hi meri' are mighty direct lifts. And so is 'Lamha lamha'! That leaves us with 'Mujhe mat roko'...till we trace its roots!
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Ankahee Title Song [Ankahee (2006)] <TC>
Lifted off Boney M's 1984 track, 'Somewhere in the world' from the album 10000 Light Years.
Listen to Ankahee Title Song | Somewhere in the world
Pritam adds a false start not in the original that makes his version sound rather different. But, prod a bit further and the similarity is glaring!
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Is this love [Pyar ke side effects (2006)] <TC>
Direct lift from Paul Anka's 1969 track 'A-mi-manera'.
Listen to Is this love | A-mi-manera (My way)
The original, is a 1969 track composed by Paul Anka, also made popular as 'My way', by Frank Sinatra and many other singers including Julio Iglesias and much later, by Gypsy Kings (the version added here)!
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Kya mujhe pyar hai [Woh lamhe (2006)] <TC>
Blatant lift from the track, 'Tak bisakah' by the Indonesian band Peterpan.
Listen to Kya mujhe pyar hai | Tak bisakah
Tak bisakah' means, Couldn't you? and is by one of Indonesia's most popular and successful pop groups, Peterpan. This track was part of the soundtrack of an Indonesian teen flick, 'Alexandria' (2005) and is apparently incredibly popular in those parts of the world!
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Hai ishq [Bas ek pal (2006)] <TC>
Pritam's second use of Yuri Mrakadi's 'Arabiyon Ana' already lifted by him in Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (See no. 11)
Listen to Hai ishq | Arabyion Ana
Pritam likes this track a lot huh? 2 lifts in 2 consecutive years! And to think that Pritam is a guest composer in this movie with only this track to his (??) credit!
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Tu jo nahin [Woh Lamhe (2006)] <TC>
Pritam has been given 'recreating' credit for this song, so he gets to face the music for this lift, perhaps along with the Bhatts!
Listen to Tu jo nahin (Woh Lamhe) | Tu jo nahin (SB John)
I suppose its the Bhatts who started this ridiculous trend of ignoring the real composer and crediting another as 'music arranged by'. This trend continues in Woh Lamhe, where Pritam is credited for composing 2 tracks (out of which one has already proven to be a lift!), while he's given arranging credits for a couple of other tracks. One of them happens to be the 50s sounding ghazal-like 'Tu jo nahin', sung by Glenn John. Its ironical and perhaps an attempt to compensate the lift that Glenn sings this, because his father sang this way back in 1959. Sunny Benjamin John (SB John), a very popular singer from Pakistan is the original singer in 1959 for a Pakistani film called 'Sawera' (the film/ year is yet to be confirmed since I couldn't find info about it in Mazhar's excellent website, though it appears in a couple of other sites) and this song is supposed to be his signature tune. And its very unfortunate that the Bhatts and the audio company chose to ignore him and the original composer (couldn't trace his name yet!) in the credits!
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Dil mein baji guitar [Apna sapna money money (2006)] <TC>
Inspired by the song, 'Sheloha shela' by the Middle Eastern group, Miami Band!
Listen to Dil mein baji guitar | Sheloha shela
This is very very interesting. I sorta expected another track from this soundtrack... 'Gustakh nigah'... to be lifted! Coming back to this one. it does sound quite like a typical Mumbaiyya number, except that the inspired bits are obvious. The opening line is rather similar, but the prominent hook (Main to gaya re) appears fleetingly in the original. Its interesting to see the way Pritam has taken pieces across the track and made it sound like a coherent and very Indian track!And does Miami Band sound familiar? Check out No. 21 in the Jatin Lalit page!
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Aa paas aa [Ankahee (2006)] <TC>
Main tune lifted off Ottmar Liebert's 'Starry nite (March of Kings)'!
Listen to Aa paas aa | Starry nite (March of Kings)
Oh, don't we love his inspirations? They always seem to introduce us to some new great talent from across the planet! After his repeated lifts from Nuevo Flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook (besides the Turkish Tarkan, of course), here we've another Nuevo Flamenco guitarist - Ottmar Liebert - from whom our friend seeks inspiration. Ankahee's (2006) 'Aa paas aa' borrows for its core tune, generously and directly from Ottmar's 1990 track, 'Starry nite (March of Kings)' from the album 'Poets & Angels'! Seems like our composer friend has a special interest in nuevo guitarists! Wonder how many other originals will we uncover after a mandatory hearing of Ottmar's discography!
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Kya Love Story Hai (2007) <TC>
01. 'Miss you everyday' - the orchestration and the catchy hook 'Miss you everyday, o sanam' lifted directly from Lebanese singer Karina's 2006 chartbuster 'Alatoul'. The main mukhda, 'Jab se tum mile ho' is a lift from Pakistani singer Hadiqa Kiyani's 1996 number (album: Raaz), 'Jab se tum milay ho'!
02. 'Deewana teri aankhon ka' generously inspired from Black Eyed Peas' 'Bebot' (2005)
03. 'Gum sum hai dil mera', uses a lot from the Thai song, 'Oh la nor...my love' by Bird Thongchai for the main chorus, but also uses Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's 'Sun yaara' for the main 'Gumsum...' portion.
Listen to Miss you everyday | Alatoul - Jab se (Miss you everyday) | Jab se (Hadiqa)
Listen to
Deewana teri aankhon ka | Bebot

Listen to
Gumsum hai dil mera (chorus) | Gumsum hai dil mera (main tune) | Oh la nor...my love | Sun yaara
Pritam ji is getting utterly incorrigible! Karina is a Senegal-born Lebanese singer and 'Alatoul' is from her 2006 album, 'Ya Rayt Bshoufak'. 'Bebot' was part of Black Eyed Peas' 2005 album, 'Monkey Business'. 'Oh la nor...my love' was part of Bird Thongchai McIntyre's 2005 album titled 'Volume 1'. The striking thing is that Pritam has used the catchy chorus 'Laakh chupaale deewane' directly from the Thai original. As if that's not enough of a giveaway, the extended prelude percussion that opens the Hindi song is also a blatant lift! The actual tune that starts with 'Gumsum...' is a direct lift from Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's song, 'Sun yaara' from his 1999 album, 'Aaja mere yaar'.
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Raqeeb (2007) <TC>
01. 'Jaane kaise' lifted directly off Amr Diab's 2003 track, 'Allem albi' from the album of the same name!
02. 'Channa ve channa' is lifted from a similarly titled song by Pashto singer Rahim Shah that came out in 2003.
Listen to Jaane kaise | Allem albi
Listen to Channa (Raqeeb) | Channa (Rahim Shah)
I'm actually getting tired of adding Pritam's lifts! The former is a direct lift with only the funky orchestration as Pritam's input, while the latter has a bit more of the composer's imagination in the tune, even though a large part of the backgrounds and the very catchy hook is lifted as-is.
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Metro (2007)
01. 'In dino' uses a line from Waqar Ali's 'Mera naam hai mohobbat'!
02. 'Oh meri jaan' seems generously inspired by Queensryche's 'Silent Lucidity'.
Listen to In dino | Mera naam hai mohobbat
Listen to
Oh meri jaan | Silent Lucidity
For 'In dino', The line, 'Hai tujhe bhi ijazat, karle tu bhi mohobbat' seems exactly like a line from Pakistani singer Waqar Ali's (brother of another famous Pakistani singer, Sajjad Ali) beautiful song, 'Mera naam hai mohobbat' (album by the same name, released in 2001) - the line, 'Do dilon ki ijazat, mera naam hai mohobbat'! Considering the similarity with the use of the words 'Ijazat' and 'Mohobbat', this interview with Pritam seems significant in nailing the culprit! Pritam says, "Anurag (Basu, Director of Metro) was humming something like 'ijazat' and 'mohabbat' and said that he wanted a song with those words. Just for fun (sic) sake I made the 'mukhda' and 'antara' and Anurag liked it.....!". So, was Anurag humming Waqar's song?

'Oh meri jaan' seems to have been constructed with generous inspiration from a track named, 'Silent Lucidity' by an American progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Silent Lucidity was part of Queensryche's 1990 album, 'Imagine'. Its quite a beautiful piece of work by Pritam, actually - the tune is his, while the backgrounds, straight out of the original, work very well in context!
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Signal & Afreen [Bhagam Bhag (2006)] <TC>
01. Signal is inspired by a Trinidadian Soca hit, 'Signal for Lara' by Superblue.
02. Afreen is lifted off Cheb Mami's 2001 track, 'Viens Habibi'
Listen to Signal | Signal for Lara
Listen to Afreen | Viens Habibi
Considering that catchy hook is almost everything for a song like 'Signal' (Isn't that the main thing you remember and hum?), this does sound considerable. The original happens to be composed as a tribute to Brian Lara when he broke the world batting record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket (501 not out for Warwickshire, against Durham) in 1994. The track was composed by Trinidadian, Soca artist Superblue (born Austin Lyons). The song was part of Superblue's 1995 album, 'Happy Carnival'.

'Afreen' has the main tune lifted directly from Rai superstar Cheb Mami's 2001 track, 'Viens Habibi' - from his album, 'Dellali', this song features French chanson singer Charles Aznavour. The original has a completely different flavor while Pritam should be credited for that funky sound that he has added in the process of lifting.
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Janmabhoomi & Zindagi hai to [Agnipankh (2004)] <TC>
Lifted off Abrar-ul-haq's 'December', an year before he lifted it in 'Chocolate' again.
Listen to Janmabhoomi | Zindagi hai to | December
I can only guess that he loves this so much that as soon as it failed to register in the first attempt, he used it all over again!
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Tikhi tikhi [Speed (2007)] <TC>
Completely lifted from Turkish pop superstar Tarkan's 2003 hit, 'Dudu'
Listen to Tikhi tikhi | Dudu
For the other use of the same original, see the next entry!
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Dhoom again [Dhoom (2006)] <TC>
The prelude and a few parts lifted.
Listen to Dhoom again (snippet) | Dudu (appropriately edited)
Tarkan may be really proud to have such a dedicated fan!
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Chal chale [Woh Lamhe (2006)] <TC>
Lifted from a 1965 track called 'A World of our own' by the band, The Seekers.
Listen to Chal chale | A world of our own
This was a kind of instantly appealing song that came with a stock comment, 'I'm sure I've heard this tune...'! I still remember a friend of mine (back in my school days, in Coimbatore) who, when she played Khamoshi's 'Jaana suno' said that her aunt identified its source as 'Bring the wine...'. And the absolute amazement when I did lay my hands on the original and spent a few hours playing them back to back in utter disbelief! Well, the same thing happened as soon as I heard the original of Chal Chale - a 1965 track called 'A World of our own' by the band, The Seekers. The song is composed and produced by Tom Springfield. To Pritam's credit, he has spruced the source into a laid back and thoroughly enjoyable track. Getting James to sing was another masterstroke. But, its uncredited. And the fact that Pritam attempts to pass the tune as his own, irks. Vinay also points out that thematically both tracks are a bit similar too - so lyricist Neelesh Mishra may also be aware of the original.
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Jaane kya [Pyar ke side effects (2006)] <TC>
'Mahi' by Hadiqa Kiyani (2003).
Listen to Jaane kya | Mahi
It does involve a lot of alterations by Pritam. But the original shows itself at various points that you can't help but be amazed at Pritam's blatant inventiveness. This was a knockout of a track by Zubin Garg in the 2006 Pyar ke side effects. Its partly knockout since its based on Pakistani singer Hadiqa Kiyani's Mahi, from her 2003 album, Rung. But, quite a good piece of improvisation by Pritam.
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O meri jaan [Life in a Metro (2007)] <TC>
Less of Queensryche and more of Amr Diab!
Listen to O meri jaan | Ba'ed el Layali
After that hint of Queensryche's Silent Lucidity in 'O meri jaan' from Metro, here's another damning piece from another song - this time from Pritam's fave, Amr Diab. The song - Ba'ed el Layali, from his 2002 album, Akhtar Wahed. Pritam seems to have tweaked his version considerably and added the prominent, catchy 'O meri jaan' hook, but just observe closely the line (3rd) which goes,
"
Wallah ezy yehoon aleik
Kol shei fel boad?
" in Amr's original. Don't you hear,
"
kal, uska raha
ab hai tera, is raat se
"? Yes, Amr's version has that typical, very-Middle eastern off-key (at least to Indian ears!) tune twist. That's where Pritam's effort shows, I suppose.
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Hare ram hare ram [Bhool Bhulaiyya (2007)] <TC>
Inspired by Bill Hailey's Oriental Rock and Korean hiphop group, JTL's 'My lecon'!
Listen to Bhool Bhulaiyya | My lecon | Oriental Rock
There seems to be some similarity - at least the most prominent part of the song, 'Hare ram hare ram'! The interesting thing about this story is the theme behind the album 'Rocking' around the world' itself. Most of the songs in this album were based on public domain folk songs from around the world! Wikipedia notes a few examples - "London Bridge is Falling Down" was rewritten as "Piccadilly Rock"; "Come Rock With Me" was based upon "O Sole Mio". The 'Oriental Rock' perhaps alludes to a Chinese original! Now, our job is to trace the titles/ artists of those songs that inspired 'Rocking' around the world' as an album! If you're able to crack this one, lemme know!

The other, more direct lift is the prominent musical piece that opens the song and stays throughout the song. This is lifted as-is from a track titled, 'My Lecon' by the Korean hip-hop group, JTL (album: Enter the dragon, 2001). This could be a commercial loop too, but no information on that right now.
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Baatein kuch ankahee si [Life in a Metro (2007)] <TC>
Blatant lift from the Korean song, 'Ah Reum Dah Oon Sa Ram' by Seo Yu Seok!
Listen to Shaayad yehi hai pyaar | Ah Reum Dah Oon Sa Ram - Seo Yu Seok's original rendition | Sam soon singing it in the Korean drama, My name is Kim Sam Soon
Just when you thought Pritam had only marginal influences for that gorgeous soundtrack in Life in a Metro (2007), here comes a complete shocker! One of the lesser heard/ promoted songs from Metro - Adnan Sami sung, 'Shaayad yehi hai pyaar' (Baatien kuch ankahee si) is a blatant, note-to-note and utterly shameless rip-off of a Korean track! Yes, the original is called 'Ah Reum Dah Oon Sa Ram' (quite a mouthful huh?, roughly translates to 'You're my beautiful person') and is a Korean oldie, though I'm not sure about the year. The singer's name is Seo Yu Seok, a famous 70s singer from Korea. Just before anybody casts any aspersions on the possibility that this song may be newer than Metro's Hindi freemake, here's another level of proof - this song was part of a very very famous Korean TV drama called 'My name is Kim Sam Soon' (2005, also referred to as, 'My Lovely Sam Soon'). The track was not part of the original soundtrack of this TV drama but just occurs in between in one of the key scenes between the protagonists. Have included two versions of this track - one, while this was being sung in an inebriated state by Sam soon, the Korean drama's lead character (actress) before her first kiss (it seems!) with the lead actor, Hyun Bin and two, Seo Yoo Suk's original rendition. Lovely track, by the way. Pritam ji, where/ how the hell did you listen to this song, man?

Also, watch Sam Soon's singing Ah Reum Dah Oon Sa Ram in YouTube!
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Allah hafiz [Bhool Bhulaiyya (2007)] & Dil liya [Dhol (2007)]
Partly inspired by Amr Diab's Awedony and Dania Khatib's 1999 hit, 'Leiley'.
Listen to Allah hafiz | Awedony
Dil liya | Leiley
Even though these lifts are rather minimal compared to an average Pritam plunder, it at least serves as an interesting study into the mind of this talented composer. First question. How is a song named? I mean, the name you see on the CD sleeve? By the opening words or the most prominent words used in the song? If its the latter, then Dhol's 'Dil liya' could have been called 'Halka halka' since those are the opening words. But, based on the importance given to the 'Dil liya' portion, its surprising that its precisely the part that Pritam has sought inspiration, from Lebanese singer Dania Khatib's 1999 hit, 'Leiley'! Second instance is the Bhool Bhulaiyya track, 'Allah hafiz' in which, exactly like the previous example, Pritam uses portions of Amr Diab's 2001 track Awedony, to score the most prominent and repeated part, 'Allah hafiz'.
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Jab We Met (2007)
01. Aao milo chale lifted off Indonesian band, Peterpan's 'Di Belakangku'!
02. Yeh ishq kya borrows heavily from Paris-based Indonesian singer Anggun's 'Être Une Femme'
Listen to Aao milo chale | Di Belakangku
Listen to Yeh Ishq Kya | Être Une Femme
I had crowned Pritam as the composer of the year 2007 and chosen his 'Aao milo chale' from Jab we met as my personal fave No. 1 song of the year. Pretty blatant, I should add. And from whom? Peterpan! The same Indonesian band that earlier lost 'Tak bisakah' to Pritam in the form of 'Kya mujhe pyaar hai' in Woh Lamhe. Even more weird is the fact that the original of 'Aao milo chale', titled 'Di Belakangku' is part of the same album as Tak bisakah - the OST of the Indonesian film 'Alexandria', that released in 2005!

As for Yeh ishq kya, well, technically, I would give Priam a reprieve since only portions of the tune is lifted, but I can assure your jumping out of whatever you're sitting on as soon as the 'original' starts! You may even easily go, 'Holy shit'! Pritam borrows generous portions of Anggun's 2004 superhit French single, 'Être Une Femme', but adds significant parts of his creativity to do a very catchy tune of his own. This lift perhaps best explains Pritam's process of working on tunes!

Watch Être Une Femme's video in YouTube! More on Anggun, here!

Does the name Anggun sound familiar? It may! Tamil composer Yuvan Shankar Raja has already lifted her 'A rose in the wind' as 'Manasu rendum' in the 2003 film Kaadhal Konden! More about it on the Yuvan page, listing No. 5!
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Race (2008)
01. Pehli nazar mein is shameslessly plagiarized from the Korean song, 'Sarang hae yo' by Kim Hyung-sub.
02. Zara zara is a result of generous inspiration from the Chinese track, 'Deep within the Bamboo grove' (Zhu Lin Shen Chu) by South east Asian singer Lee-Hom Wang (from his 2005 album, Shangri-La).
Listen to Pehli nazar mein | Sarang hae yo
This is just like Metro's 'Shaayad yehi hai pyaar' and 'Ah Reum Dah Oon Sa Ram'! The original song (Sarang hae yo) was part of the soundtrack of a 2005 Korean tele series titled, 'Kwae-geol Chun-hyang' (Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang or Sassy Girl Chun Hyang). This lift is very similar to most of Pritam's other recent cases - shockingly direct, right from the tune, backgrounds et all! The less said about the Zara zara lift, the better!

Watch Sarang hae yo video, here!
More on Lee-Hom Wang! And, watch the video of 'Deep within the bamboo grove' here!
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Door na ja [Jannat (2008)]
Modeled along Damien Rice's 'The Blower's Daughter (2001).
Listen to Door na ja | The Blower's Daughter
Aah...this is refreshing! Pritam has actually come up with an inspiration that sounds more like he's imbibed the feel of the original and crafted something genuinely derivative! Rana Mazumder's amazing vocals carry this track superbly, but the opening, sedate portion of the song seems to have been modeled along Damien Rice's cult hit, 'The Blower's Daughter'. Even if the 'Tera chehra' part is perhaps intentionally different from the source's 'And so it is...', the Hindi track's 'Door na ja' is a dead giveaway - just compare it with the original's 'Can't take my eyes off you' and the corresponding background arrangements. But Pritam takes his version to another level shortly after that - pretty neat job!

More on Damien Rice!
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Haanji [Kidnap (2008)]
Inspired by 'Punjabi Clap' by Sukshinder Shinda.
Listen to Haan ji | Punjabi Clap
Pritam seeks inspiration for the Adnan Sami song, Haan Ji, from UK-based Punjabi singer Sukshinder Shinda's 2005 number, Punjabi Clap, from the album Balle! To be fair to Pritam, he has worked on the base tune but the backgrounds and a part of the tune is an obvious give away.
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Hai Junoon [New York (2009)]
Contains traces of Indonesian band Samsons' song, 'Naluri Lelaki', from their 2006 album of the same name.
Listen to Hai Junoon | Naluri Lelaki
I think the song definitely has traces of Indonesian band Samsons' song, 'Naluri Lelaki', from their 2006 album of the same name. But, Pritam seems to have mastered this art by now - the na nanana naa na na part in the beginning of the Hindi track seems inspired, as is a small portion in the Indonesian original that corresponds to the Hindi's 'Hai Junooooon' call. This is nowhere near the more blatant lifts from our favorite composer, but inspirations should be mentioned where its due!

Now for the juicy part. The first person to have supposedly exposed this inspiration is also a music composer. A composer who has also been credited in the same film, New York - for the song, 'Aye saaye mere'...yes, Pankaj Awasthi. This YouTube link of 'Naluri Lelaki' has a comment by a user named, 'awasthiji', who has also posted the video of the song, 'Khuda ka wasta', by, who else...Pankaj Awasthi. That lends more authenticity to the fact that the comment is indeed by Pankaj. Also note - the timeline for his comment says, 'posted 1 week ago' - New York's soundtrack was released on June 11th (Milliblog music review of New York, on June 11th), so, only an insider could have listened to the song even before its release and go to the extent of commenting on its source!

So, why is Pankaj doing this? Doesn't he like Pritam? Will this not spoil his chances of making it big in the dog-eat-dog world of Bollywood?

Update 1! The news has made it to Times of India, Calcutta Times (JPG scan)! Pankaj has spoken extensively against Pritam's plagiarism too, in the article. But, it looks like a lot of strings have been pulled in the background - Pankaj's comment in YouTube is missing, today. It only says, 'Comment removed by author'! Will Pankaj continue to stay in the movie, as composer of his sole song? See screenshot of Pankaj Awasthi's comment | Comment removed

I anticipated all this when I broke the news on Friday - quite obvious. Was Pankaj so naive to think that nobody would have noticed his message to Samsons? That too, on a public forum like YouTube? But yes, Pankaj may not be the first person to point out the similarity - the inspiration seems to have been mentioned by someone named 'nickname2121' at least 4 months ago, as a comment in the YouTube version of New York's theatrical trailer. So, Pankaj may not be that insider who heard the song being copied in the studio and pointed the band to the act. He may have merely reiterated it! See screenshot of the earlier comment (link)on Hai Junoon's similarity with the Indonesian song!

Update 2! The Pritam Vs Pankaj Awasthi imbroglio makes it to Hindustan Times Cafe, Mumbai! See here - JPG

Update 3! Pritam has responded to the allegations of plagiarism in Hai Junoon, in Calcutta Times (JPG, online link) - to the same journalist who first broke the story in mainstream media. At the outset, I have to appreciate Pritam for being sincere in his responses - he may have sounded very vague in an earlier show by Karan Thapar on this topic - but here, he sounds confident, specific and honest. A few clarifications - as someone managing a plagiarism tracking website, I need to be honest and fair too and not pander to emotional allegations, based on past track record.

When Pritam says, "
Hai Junoon doesn’t match in terms of notes with Naluri Lelaki", I completely agree. This instance is perhaps one of the weaker allegations against Pritam since he has far more blatant cases of plagiarism to highlight as breaking news. Before this case went online in ItwoFS, I had two mails from ItwoFS readers informing me the same. I listened to both the tracks closely and was not entirely convinced of its addition in ItwoFS - this is the truth. Then, I got a mail from another ItwoFS reader, Ajit Gopalakrishnan, which explained Pankaj's role - then, I was both convinced and interested. Here was a musician alleging the same thing - that's quite different from others indicating a similarity. Plus, the whole angle of a musician calling out another is very, very new! That is one of the main reasons why Hai Junoon went online in the site.

Pritam also says, "
I told myself: ‘Don’t touch an English song since people have heard it’. I thought it would be better to be inspired by obscure songs without realising that the Internet has made the world smaller and even the most obscure song can easily be traced". This totally shocks me, but I feel glad that an A-league composer actually had the guts to accept this so openly. Unlike, say, a Anu Malik who's standard response was how the percentage of lifts in his illustrious career (again, it indeed is illustrious - but, that's beside the point when it comes to allegations of plagiarism) is so miniscule.

And when he says, "
Since the past one year, I’ve been consciously trying to reform and not be influenced. There will be exactly three embarrassing moments ahead for me", the positive approach is definitely commendable, though I'd sure like to get to the bottom of those 3 songs' obscure sources!

On a more personal note, given that I wear two hats - the ItwoFS hat, where I dissect musical similarity from a layman point of view; and the Milliblog hat, where I share my personal opinion on music, I have to add that I'm first an ardent music lover, who is simply curious about some songs' origins. Its that curiosity that has grown into ItwoFS. And, I really do not listen to every piece of music trying to find its source or doubt its originality - it usually just happens! Yes, plagiarism is a bane in this country, but that shouldn't stop a music lover from enjoying his music. I like Pritam's music and look forward to his Love Aaj Kal - more so because its Imtiaz's film. But as always, I'd be the first one to condemn a lift even in that soundtrack, if I were to find a convincing instance.
50
Hotty naughty [De dana dhan (2009)]
The prominent title hook of the song is lifted straight off the Haryanvi song, 'Hat ja tau' by singer Vijay Dahiya.
Listen to Hotty naughty | Hat ja tau
The first thing I checked was the CD notes - to see if there's any credit for the folk source the tune (or the main hook after which the song is titled) borrows from...no credits printed! The Haryanvi song by Vijay Dahiya, 'Hat ja tau' was part of the album Naya Lifafa (2007). A out-of-India source seems better in this case, since the original singer is a local folk singer and deserves a broader platform if he's indeed good - but not this way, when a leading Bollywood composer 'uses' the source track and does something akin to a remix, without credit.
51
Bheegi si bhaagi si [Rajneeti (2010)]
Alleged similarity with Peterpan's 'Jauh Mimpiku'.
Bheegi si bhaagi si:
Jauh Mimpiku:
The alleged source is our very familiar Indonesian band, Peterpan, from which Pritam has already 2 tracks, Tak Bisakah (Kyun aaj kal, Woh Lamhe) and Di Belakangku (Aao milo chalen, Love Aaj Kal). The interesting fact is that the alleged source of the Rajneeti song is from the same album that had the 2 earlier lifts - the soundtrack of a film called Alexandria (Peterpan's album was called, 'Menunggu Pagi'). So, here we have, the song titled, 'Jauh Mimpiku', but here's the deal - the entire Hindi song seems different, but for 2 prominent portions - the tune for the lines, 'Aah haa, gulabi si subah, Aah Haa, sharabi si hawa' and the main hook, 'bheegi si bhaagi si' can be traced in the Indonesian song, although, the former is direct, the latter is heard in muted way, if you listen carefully, the background music holds the key. This is a dicey lift to add, but given these 2 portions and the fact that it is from the same Peterpan album, I'm adding it in ItwoFS for comparison's sake, though, personally, given how deeply the line appears in Hindi (and not in the beginning), I'd give the benefit of doubt to Pritam.
52
Challa [Crook (2010)]
From Babbal Rai's Australian Challa.
Challa (Crook):
Australian Challa:
Crook has music by Pritam and I will resist any further temptation to crack a joke about that title and it's connection...well, I said I will resist. The soundtrack of Crook is not out officially, but on the net, it is out on various song-sharing sites. The lead song, Challa, is credited to Babbu Mann and Suzanne D'Mello and sounds exactly like a 2 year old informal YouTube hit by an Australian Punjabi kid, Babbal Rai!

Here are the facts!
1. Babbal Rai's song is titled, 'Australian Challa' and was posted on YouTube in March 2008. Here's the video.
2. As you can see, it sounds like a coarse, drunk video posted by a group of friends. The date and tune however bear closer look. The date is clearly 2 years ago and this is a really popular track on the YouTube circuit. The main tune, right up to that catchy hook (Tadada tadada) is used as-is in Pritam's filmy version.
3. Babbal Rai's YouTube success was so massive that he announced the launch of his debut album, Saau Putt - The First Chapter, recently. Guess what? It is slated to be released in a record label named 'Point Zero'. Who owns Point Zero? Babbu Mann...who has sung the filmy version of Challa!

The song is credited as 'Based on traditional folk melody'. The point...yes, there are definite shades of the folk melody made popular by a lot of Pakistani and Punjabi singers (the first 4 lines at least), but, the main hook, 'Tana na tana na' is what differentiates this one from the regular folk renditions. And that...is directly from Babbal Rai's drunk, informal version. It's a shame that big guys like Pritam and Babbu Mann refuse to accept that and merely credit it to a folk song.

Challa singer Babbal Rai gets justice - finally! Times of India's Priyanka Dasgupta reports,

Babbal Rai, the singer who had uploaded his version of 'Challa' two years ago on YouTube, has finally surfaced. He seems to be upset with Pritam crediting the song as one being based on "traditional folk melody". Says Geena Dosanjh, Babbal's manager, 'His initial reaction was that of shock. The song was composed two years ago and posted on YouTube. It was clearly stated that the song was written by him. Babbal feels he has been cheated and that his work has been stolen!'

...and,

"Crook" director Mohit Suri is giving a special thanks of Special thanks to Babbal Rai for "Australian Challa" in the credits of his film. "I had heard the "Australian Challa" online. The lyrics of the song had been connected with the racial problems faced by cab drivers is Australia. Though Babbal's version of the song didn't reach us on time for it to be included in the CDs of "Crook", we are crediting Babbal in our film," Mohit says.

Great news! Glad to know Babbal is getting credit, albeit in the film and not in the CD!


Hindi

Anu Malik
Anand Milind
Anand Raaj Anand
Bappi Lahiri
Jatin Lalit
Kalyanji Anandji
Laxmikant Pyarelal
Nadeem Shravan
OP Nayyar
Pritam Chakravarty
Rajesh Roshan
RD Burman
Salil Chaudhry
SD Burman
Sandeep Chowta
Sanjeev Darshan
Shankar Jaikishen
Hindi - others


Tamil
A R Rahman
Deva
Ilayaraja
Karthikraja
Yuvan S. Raja
Tamil - others


Assorted
Coincidences
Indipop
Advt. jingle lifts
Telugu
Trivia
 

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