Pakistani singer Farhan Saeed lambasted Indian music composer Salim Merchant for imitating his song. Saeed accused that famous Bollywood music composer Salim Merchant stole his song Roiyaan for his song Hareya.
Saeed added that he sensed an immeasurable resemblance between both the songs while he listened to Indian song Hareya.
“Someone just sent me @salim_merchant song HAREYA, which is a total copy of my song ROIYAAN,” he alleged.
Someone just sent me @salim_merchant song HAREYA, which is a total copy of my song ROIYAAN. I wonder they have the audacity to call themselves artists when they steal someone's work. Karna hi hai to pooch ke kuro aur ager poochna nahin hai to at least acha to kuro!#stopstealing
— Farhan Saeed (@farhan_saeed) September 14, 2019
Saeed shamed the Bollywood musicians of stealing Pakistani music without acknowledging or giving due credits to the original producers of the song. He added that plagiarising Pakistani artwork is rampant in Bollywood.
“I wonder they have the audacity to call themselves artists when they steal someone’s work. Karna hi hai to pooch ke kuro aur ager poochna nahin hai to at least acha to kuro! [If you want to take something, seek permission and if not at least do it right],” asserted Farhan Saeed.
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Salim Merchant responded to Farhan Saeed’s tweet and brushed off his accusations of stealing his song. He called it a mere coincidence that the two songs closely resembled. Adding that, “It happens many a times when notes have a natural progression from each other. @Sulaiman & I have a track record of never plagiarising.”
Farhan I just heard your song. It’s a mere coincidence that the chorus of Haareya is like your song. To be honest I’ve never heard it before. It happens many a times when notes have a natural progression from each other. @Sulaiman & I have a track record of never plagiarising.
— salim merchant (@salim_merchant) September 14, 2019
The conversation of both the musicians did not end here. Farhan Saeed clapped back to Salim Merchant asserting that, “If you say so! Another coincidence is we have the same lyricist! Anyway, good luck!”
@salim_merchant if you say so! Another co incidence is we have the same lyricist! Anyway good luck !
— Farhan Saeed (@farhan_saeed) September 14, 2019
Why don’t you check with him!
If i had to copy, I would have done that way long back in my career. I really wish I had heard your song before I made mine. Would have surely made changes to our composition to make it sound different from yours. Anyway, Hope you understand..— salim merchant (@salim_merchant) September 14, 2019
Salim Merchant responded to objections of Farhan Saeed in another tweet insisting the resemblance of the songs a mere coincidence advising him to check with the same composer of both the songs.
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Adding that “If I had to copy, I would have done that way long back in my career. I really wish I had heard your song before I made mine. Would have surely made changes to our composition to make it sound different from yours. Anyway, Hope you understand.”
Bollywood Stole Pakistani Songs
Several times in the past Indian musicians have imitated Pakistani music without giving due credit to the original artists. Some of the famous copied songs include Tera Mera Nata from Mohmmad Ali’s movie for Indian actor Rajesh Khanna. Others include Pakistani song Tu Meri Zindagi sang by Fasvan Alam picturized in Bollywood movie Ashiqui, ghazal of Begum Akhtar was smartly recreated for movie Indian movie Raaz in 2002.
A ghazal of Mehdi Hasan Buhut Khoobsorat was used in the movie Sajan released in 1991. Agar Tum Mil Jao was another song picturized on Imran Hashmi, Mahiyan song of singer Annie recreated for movie Awarapan, and most popular song Munni Badnaam Huwi in Salman Khan’s Dabang movie was a rendition of song Larka Badnaam Huwa shot on famous comedian Omar Shareef.