CBFC’s new diktat: If you want to use even one line of an old song you’ve to pay for it

Pahlaj Nihlani, the chairperson of the Censor board says, “Forget those lengthy antakshari games in films.”

Reportedly, when debutante Sayani Gupta hummed a few lines from the popular song ‘Doli Sajake Rakhna’ from the movie ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ in Shonali Bose’s directed ‘Margarita, With A Straw’ starring Kalki Koechlin, there was a last-minute panic generated and the lines had to be hastily deleted from the movie.

According to a report published in BollywoodHungama.com, “The snatch of the evergreen song from ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ escaped the film’s producers Viacom 18’s eyes and ears until just hours before the release.”

“There was a last-minute panic at this oversight. Viacom18 got in touch with Aditya Chopra who informed them he had no objection to the song-snatch being used in ‘Margarita, With A Straw’. However, the copyrights of the song belonged to Saregama-HMV who are known to quote staggering sums of money for permission to use even a line of their songs. Viacom decided to drop the DDLJ line at that last minute rather than go through the panic situation of negotiation,” the source further added.

Does this mean that the audience won’t be able to see ‘Antakshari’ being played in movies now? Pahlaj Nihlani, the chairperson of the Censor board says, “Forget those lengthy antakshari games in films. If you want to use even one line of an old song you’ve to pay for it. If you’ve an antakshari in film you’ve to pay for every song that you use. It is against the law to use artistic property in any form without the owner’s consent.”

Source:: Indian Express