Kannada film Kantara song plagiarism row: Interview with Littil Swayamp, director of ‘Navarasam’ music video by Kerala band Thaikkudam Bridge
The Hindu
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.
Actor Gibin Gopinath reflects on his successful 2025 and craving meaningful roles in Malayalam cinema
Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan discusses his journey, the importance of empathy, and his Oscar-shortlisted film "Homebound."
In a few days, there would be a burst of greetings. They would resonate with different wavelengths of emotion and effort. Simple and insincere. Simple but sincere. Complex yet insincere. Complex and sincere. That last category would encompass physical greeting cards that come at some price to the sender, the cost more hidden than revealed. These are customised and handcrafted cards; if the reader fancies sending them when 2026 dawns, they might want to pick the brains of these two residents of Chennai, one a corporate professional and the other yet to outgrow the school uniform
Jaideep Ahlawat has replaced Akshaye Khanna in Drishyam 3 after the actor refused to be "part of the film via a text message"
Medai The Stage brings Margazhi to Coimbatore
‘Pharma’ series review: Despite strong performances and solid premise, the narrative misses the mark
Pharma offers strong performances but falters in storytelling, making it a passable watch despite its intriguing premise.
Discover the creativity of individuals on the autism spectrum with Autism Club Ernakulam’s inspiring 2026 desktop calendar.
Screened at the IFFK 2025 recently under the Indian Cinema Now section, ‘Alaav’ is a still cinéma-vérité portrait of an ageing Indian artist caring for his real-life mother
The Kochi Biennale is evolving, better, I love it. There have been problems in the past but they it seems to have been ironed out. For me, the atmosphere, the fact of getting younger artists doing work, showing them, getting the involvement of the local people… it is the biggest asset, the People’s Biennale part of it. This Biennale has a great atmosphere and It is a feeling of having succeeded, everybody is feeling a sense of achievement… so that’s it is quite good!
How two stories named for a nightmare peel back polite veneers to expose a rot of moralities and the base human instinct to reach for tenderness anyway — here’s why ‘Monster’ (anime) and ‘Monster’ (film) belong on your watchlist
Indian cinema in 2025 reflected societal complexities, broke genre conventions, and sparked controversies as audiences engage in a two-way dialogue
Pluribus series review: Rhea Seehorn shines as a fantasy writer who might be the only person to save the world from unbridled niceness and is just one of many delights in this post-apocalyptic binge-fest
In Akhil Sathyan’s sophomore film ‘Sarvam Maya’, a sublime Nivin Pauly, with the help of Aju Varghese and Riya Shibu, propels a thin script