The Indian Premier League’s anthem Aayenge Hum Wapas has run into controversy with allegations of plagiarism doing the rounds. Rapper Krishna Kaul, known by his stage name KR$NA, has alleged that the anthem has been plagiarised from his 2017 song Dekho Kaun Aaya Wapas.
Earlier this week KR$NA, who featured in Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy as himself, had tweeted, "Hey guys, IPL has plagiarised my song Dekh Kaun Aaya Waapas and created Aayenge Hum Wapas as this year's anthem without credit or consent. I request my fellow artists and friends on twitter to RT this tweet for awareness. They cannot get away with this."
Subsequently the matter was brought in front of the Music Composers Association of India (MCAI), which ruled that there was no plagiarism as the two songs are different.
KR$NA slammed the organisation’s decision, tweeting on Thursday, “I just got word that 'Music Composer's Association of India' has suggested that plagiarisation of Hip Hop songs is permissible in their opinion because all hip hop songs sound the same. Shabaash! Tumhara khoon khoon, hamara khoon paani."
The composer of the anthem Pranav Ajayrao Malpe meanwhile has denied that he copied the song, holding the ruling of the Music Composer's Association of India as proof of his song's originality.
The Indian Premier League is set to begin on September 19 in the UAE, where it was shifted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.