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There is a difference between reproducing an article vs creating a superior music composition after being inspired by something. I listen to Hindustani classical and Carnatic classical music a lot. Same ragas are reused again and again by different singers for make their albums. Similarities are hard to avoid.

I don't see this as a copy at all, because Varaha Roopam is much superior product, the so-called inspiration doesn't give me the same vibe. Incidentally, I was protesting the concept of software patenting today morning in another thread, on same grounds. I can't help if you can't understand the difference.

My point was about giving credit. When the makers themselves have accepted that they took inspiration then they could have avoided all this.

Product being superior is subjective and that's entirely your opinion.

I don’t think it is about the ragas here. Yes, of course the same ragas are re-used, but doesn’t mean all those songs sounds same or similar.

Thaikkudam bridge must have reused one of such raga/s and made the tune and it is that tune and arrangement that is said to be copied here.

I don't like writing movie reviews. But 'Kantara' movie has showed customs similar to what existed in rural Kerala in my childhood. Gulika, Parakutty etc were our family gods. Now nothing is left of such customs.

No Malayalam movie has shown such customs as a central theme other than may be one or two in the 1990s like Kaliyattam. So Kantara took me to my childhood days.

I also thought the Varaharoopam is lifted directly from Navarasam. But after listening to few recitals in Thodi raga (specially in Violin) , I think both are equally inspired from Carnatic music. There may be some inspiration, but does not warrant a removal of the song from the movie. This is like taking out soul from body.

Kantara is a good movie with excellent last 15 minutes. That is it. It has many negatives. So called Varaha roopam song itself did not have that impact in the movie I was expecting.

After listening to the first minute of both Varaha Roopam and Navarasam in a good sound system or headset, follow the Nadaswaram in Varaha Roopam vs. Violin in Navarasam, if you still think this is not a copy (not inspiration, copy), then the 2020 Thar is not a copy of the Wrangler, neither was the 2001 Sonata a copy of the Merc C Class. :D

I like Varaha Roopam - it's been performed so nicely to fit the movie's theme. But the arrangement is definitely a lot more than inspiration.

All it needs is a credit to the original album/ composers - when pretty woman's rights were bought by the producer of the Hindi version, this is a no-brainer.

In the same audio gear, also follow Sudha Raghunathan's vocals, tune, music from 2:00 onwards.

https://youtu.be/oAjvZjxv8lk?t=119

the above, is a song composed in 2004. All due credits to reach the feet of the Trinity of Carnatic music.

Watched Kantara yesterday. While it was a good movie, I did not find anything worth the hype. The main theme of demigods and how it was depicted was beautiful, but I am from Uttarakhand and we still have similar beliefs, rituals and "possessed by god" dance sequences that are widely followed till today. So, have seen that quite a lot, and though I could instantly connect to it (quite deeply actually), as a movie it was not extraordinary.

Loved the vibrant colors and how respectfully all the culture was depicted though. It was visually stunning, story was OK.

P.S. it is always a wonderful feeling when you watch regional movies and catch numerous words that you know in your own mother tongue. Many words were "shuddh Hindi" which even the people living in north India do not use anymore (I get it, all languages come from Sanskrit, or influenced by it at least, but we north Indians have pretty much lost the pure form). Malyalam is a beautiful language.

I tend to agree. I can clearly see that the musical arrangement in both the songs are very similar. The sound structure too is similar. While this is to do with the base ragam, it would have been proper for the makers of Kantara to make changes in song structure or for that matter refer to Thaikudam Bridge in credits.

Listen to the below and you will understand that the song structure of both is the same even though there are subtle differences in the type of guitar used, the drum signatures are slightly different. But plagiarism it was

Original Version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4NGpoy_E

Plagiarized Version - Cannot play it within our site and therefore you will have to go to Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDb303T-B1w

No offence to Sudha, but I'm from a more orthodox Carnatic livelihood - I know/ practise/ perform/ teach (my wife does this, actually) Carnatic music :)

The reason why Varaha Roopam is a copy is not because it's from the same Raaga - Thodi is a rare Raaga in light music, so it's easy to give examples from the movies itself - this is also a Thodi, predates Sudha's Morning Raaga by a decade:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H9nsx4slu7o
But I'm sure no one is going to say either Navarasam or Varaha Roopam or Morning Raaga/ Sudha's Thaye Yashodha is inspired or copied from this - those who understand music know Raagas are limited, but they can be composed, arranged, perfomed, orchestrated in a million ways.

I don't want to take this thread off track. But if anyone wants to know the difference between a Carnatic based film music that is copied from another AND not copied from another, look up all the songs by Ilayaraja in Mayamalavagoulai. You might sense that the Raaga is the same, but the composition is not.

The reason why Varaha Roopam is a copy is - it uses the same raaga AND the composition/ structure/ arrangement. All due credits to reach the feet of the Trinity of Carnatic music, of course! :thumbs up

EDIT: The Panthuvarali version on OTT is not bad, but the spirit of the song is diluted IMHO. They could have kept Thodi intact, or switch to Bhairavi or Dhanyasi. By design, Panthuvarali is a soft/ calming Raaga.

12th Man (Mohan Lal starrer) : 3 / 5

Interesting #whudunit murder mystery movie with several turns & twists across the (un-necessarily) long movie. The first half of the movie can be ignored/fast-tracked given the unnecessary dialogues and dragging of the story. It's in the second half that MohanLal comes into form and the movie gets interesting. If you enjoy detective / murder mystery movies, this would be a good watch for sure.

Thanks for the reco. I found the idiotic antics of Mohanlal and the related scenes in the first half completely unnecessary; I'd guess that was to ensure he's not just one of the characters that drops in only in the second half.

Kind of becoming a running joke now. Mohanlal appears, does some antics, but he is not what he appears to be- he is a police/CID/CBI Agent and what not. His last movies all fall into that pattern. 12th Man, Aarattu, Monster. As fans we are all waiting for him to break out of this nonsensical pattern.

BTW watch 'Rorschach' on Hotstar. A much superior intriguing movie.

Updates on Varaha Roopam saga:

Just realised this. When this controversy broke out , Thaikudam Bridge had around 4 million views for the Navarasam song. This is over the last 5 years. Now just in the last month, they have got approximately another 4 million views. It looks like the court order will be fully reversed. So still not a complete loss for Thaikudam also.:)

I would have paid money to the Thaikudam brand and kept the original Varaharoopam song. I hate the Thaikudam brand because they have remixed many Malayalam classic songs without any shame and acting holier than thou. You can't expect class from cheap stakes.