Kaushiki Chakraborty has sent a legal notice to Chinmayi Sripaada and Singapore-based songwriter and producer Shabir Sulthan over alleged plagiarism in the Tamil song Vaanmathi. Kaushiki claims that verses from her 2015 performance at the Darbar Festival were used in the song without her permission, acknowledgement or credit. Chinmayi Sripaada has acknowledged receiving the legal notice. She has also said that Shabir assured her he would address the matter legally. Meanwhile, The song was reportedly taken down from Shabir’s social media accounts following her request. Here’s what Chinmayi Sripaada has responded in her statement.
Kaushiki Chakraborty Accuses Chinmayi, Shabir Of Using Her Work Without Credit
Hindustani classical vocalist has taken legal action against singer and Singapore-based songwriter-producer Shabir Sulthan over the Tamil song Vaanmathi. In a video shared on Instagram, Kaushiki alleged that portions of her performance at the Darbar Festival in 2015 had been used in the song without her permission, acknowledgement or credit.
The singer said she was disturbed by the alleged use of her work and had tried to resolve the matter without legal intervention. However, she claimed that those efforts did not succeed, leaving her with no option but to send a legal notice. Kaushiki also shared clips from her original performance alongside the song to support her allegations.
In her Instagram caption, she mentioned the matter as a fight to protect musicians’ rights and urged people to share her statement
Chinmayi Sripaada Responds To Notice
Chinmayi Sripaada Says She Was Unaware Of Alleged Plagiarism Chinmayi acknowledged receiving a legal notice from Kaushiki’s legal team in a statement posted on her Instagram Stories. She said the notice concerned a couple of phrases used in Vaanmathi and clarified that she had not known about the alleged copying.
Vaanmathi Song Controversy: Chinmayi Sripaada Responds
“As a recording artiste I sang and did my lines in the song and haven’t been aware of any of the plagiarised portions in the song until the legal notice / Instagram reel,” she wrote.
Chinmayi mentioned that she had spoken to Shabir after the allegations surfaced. The singer also mentioned that if she would knowingly copy another artiste’s work, it would go against her musical integrity and dignity.
Who Is Kaushiki Chakraborty?
Kaushiki Chakraborty is an acclaimed Indian classical vocalist known for her work in Hindustani classical music. She belongs to the Patiala gharana and is the daughter of renowned vocalist Ajoy Chakraborty. Her repertoire includes khayal, thumri, dadra and bhajan. She received the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in the Asia-Pacific category in 2005.