The people behind the viral song ‘Manikya Malarayi Poovi’ in Malayalam film-maker Omar Lulu’s forthcoming movie Oru Adaar Love are getting ready for a legal battle to ensure their artistic freedom.
A day after a case was registered against Mr. Lulu at the Falaknuma police station in Hyderabad by a group of individuals who objected to the song’s lyrics, the filmmaker told The Hindu on Thursday that the song would not be removed from YouTube and the movie.
“I am planning to meet Muslim religious heads in Kerala and seek their support. Already, we have received overwhelming support from various sections, asking us not to drop the song. It was written by P.M.A Jabbar and composed by Thalassery K. Rafeeque in 1978, and since then has been most sought-after during celebrations,” he said.
The song, featuring 18-year-old Priya Prakash Varrier, who winked her way to national attention, has already registered over 21 million views on YouTube.
Referring to the case, Mr. Lulu said he had come to know from police officials that a case has been registered against him under IPC Section 295 A (hurting religious sentiments). “We are moving legally and will soon seek an anticipatory bail,” he said. The complainants had alleged that the lyrics and visuals depicted Prophet Muhammed and his wife Hazarath Khadeeja in a manner that would hurt sentiments of Muslims.
Shaan Rahman, the film’s music composer, said they had retained the original composition, and had only slowed it down. “The soul of the original composition is intact. The movie has eight songs. The remaining seven have been composed,” said Mr. Rahman, the man behind another recent viral Malayalam number ‘Jimmiki Kammal’.
Ousepachan Valakuzhy, producer of the movie, said the popularity of the song and the hype around the movie had soared to unexpected levels. “The movie is scheduled to be released in June. I have already received requests for dubbing rights in various languages. The second leg of shooting will start at Ernakulam by this month end.”
The original composer, Mr. Rafeeque, who also rendered the song first, said there was nothing derogatory in the lyrics. “Nobody had complained about the song till now. Let us just look at the quality of the lyrics. Let us not forget that it is natural for characters in a campus-based movie to wink and express emotions. Only a few had opposed the song, which is being enjoyed by millions across the globe,” he said.
