The adaptation of revolutionary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s song Karar Oi Louho Kopat by renowned musician

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Karar Oi Louho Kopat…
Bhenge Fel, Kor Re Lopat…
Rokto Jomat Shikol-Pujar Pashan-Bedi…

(Break down those iron gates of the prison, completely destroy them, let the stone altar where the blood-clotted shackles are worshiped disappear)

TheSE lines were once part of the song of revolution, but have now been accused of being misinterpreted by AR Rahman in the latest OTT release Pippa. While the film received positive feedback from the viewers and critics alike, at the same time the song Karar Oi Louho Kopat did not go down well with Bengalis across India as well as Bangladesh.

Apparently it is a rendition of the song sung in 1922, written and composed by revolutionary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. And, most importantly, it wasn’t expected from Oscar-award-winning music composer Rahman!

About the original

Considered as a sacred anthem, it was then directed against the British rulers and the lyrics have stood the test of time. The late poet, writer and musician is revered as the national poet of Bangladesh. So, fans of Nazrul and his book Nazrulgeeti found it to be a mockery of the patriotic song. They immediately called for its removal from the film. Amongst the opposing groups were Nazrul’s grandson and granddaughter, Anirban Kazi and Anindita, who felt that the rendition by Rahman has spoilt the feel and music of the original.

Apology analysis

In their defence, the makers of Pippa issued an apology that read, “In light of the current discourse surrounding the song Karar Oi Louho Kopat, the producers, director and music composer of the film Pippa wish to clarify that our rendition of the song is a sincere artistic interpretation, embarked upon only after securing the necessary adaptation rights from the estate of the late Kazi Nazrul Islam, whose contribution to the musical, political and social landscape of the Indian subcontinent is immeasurable. This album was created as a tribute to the men and women who dedicated their lives to the liberation of Bangladesh and keeping in mind the sentiments of their struggle for freedom, peace and justice. We approached the making of this song by faithfully following both the letter and the spirit of the license agreement for the lyrics, as duly signed with the late Kalyani Kazi and witnessed by Anirban Kazi. Our intent was to pay homage to the cultural significance of the song while adhering to the terms set forth in our agreement, which permitted us to use the lyrics with a new composition. We understand the emotional attachment that audiences may have to the original composition, and while all art is inherently subjective, if our interpretation has hurt sentiments or caused unintended distress, we offer our sincere apologies.” Rahman is yet to comment on this issue.

Know the difference

After the controversy caught the attention of more listeners, fans compared the original song with the recent release, and found Rahman’s version as a romantic and folksy number, which is poles apart from the original. Nazrul Islam’s grandkids even refused to accept the public apology issued by the makers and asked them to remove their names from credits. They claimed that while their mother Kalyani Kazi did give permission for the rendition, it didn’t allow the composer and the maker to completely change the composition. According to Nazrul’s fans, Rahman’s composition is almost celebratory and as such is entirely different from the one composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Fact check

The original song was composed by the legendary poet Nazrul as an ode to freedom, and to fight the barriers of oppression. It was written for the legendary freedom fighter Chittaranjan Das upon his wife’s request after the former was imprisoned by the British rulers. It was first published in 1922 in the magazine Banglar Katha (Stories of Bengal) and later included in Nazrul’s book Bhangar Gaan (Songs of Breaking Free). Recorded in 1949, the song is a sacred anthem for Bengalis in both India and Bangladesh. The revolutionary Nazrul was also arrested the following year. Nazrul’s song was first recorded in June 1949 and folk singer Girin Chakraborty sang it.

On the other hand, in Pippa, this song has been used in the context of the Battle of Garibpur, which took place on November 20, 1971. This was during the Bangladesh Liberation War where the citizens of the erstwhile East Pakistan had rebelled against West Pakistan.