Kannada film Kantara song plagiarism row: Interview with Littil Swayamp, director of ‘Navarasam’ music video by Kerala band Thaikkudam Bridge

Thaikkudam Bridge has gone to court saying ‘Navarasam’ and Kantara’s ‘Varaha Roopam’ sound similar

Navarasam’, a song originally released on January 19, 2017, by Kerala-based rock band  Thaikkudam Bridge on YouTube, is back in the news. More than 2 million people have re-discovered the video in 2022 after the release of Kannada blockbuster  Kantara.

Thaikkudam Bridge has gone to court saying ‘Navarasam’ and  Kantara’s ‘Varaha Roopam’ sound similar. The comments section on social media is a slug fest between fans of both sides, with occasional posts calling for quiet introspection and giving credit.

People have loved the deeply affecting ‘Navarasam’, and the video, directed by Littil Swayamp, who is an editor and cinematographer too. The video narrates the  Navarasas through a Kathakali dancer couple and their young child.

Swayamp, 34, has been in California since 2019 — he moved after doing the cinematography on the 2018 Fahadh Faasil-starrer  Varathan, and has also worked with director Anjali Menon and musician Ricky Kej. He says he can only “find humour” when others use “our methods and techniques to create art for themselves or find their audience”.

In an email interview, he speaks about creating the ‘Navarasam’ music video and the current controversy. Edited excerpts:

I have yet to watch  Kantara. A few friends told me it is a good film. But when I saw ‘Varaha Roopam’ on YouTube for the first time, it made me curious. The music evoked some feelings of similarity to ‘Navarasam’. And I did wonder if the  Kantara makers had watched what we had done for ‘Navarasam’ before they got into production. Although I’m glad to see more art being made rooted in rural society.

Govind [Vasantha] from  Thaikkudam Bridge played ‘Navarasam’ for me before the shoot of ‘One’. Following the success of ‘One’, I was asked if I would be interested in doing ‘Navarasam’. It took me a long time to decide. I knew the track was strong and I needed to justify it with a firm story.