Raghav Chaitanya defends composer Pritam against plagiarism allegations regarding the song ‘Mashooqa’ from the upcoming film ‘Cocktail 2’, asserting its originality and the uniqueness of its creative process.
MUMBAI – Singer Raghav Chaitanya has come to the defense of music composer Pritam amid allegations of plagiarism concerning the song “Mashooqa” from the much-anticipated film “Cocktail 2.”
The controversy erupted after social media users pointed out similarities between “Mashooqa” and the 1993 Italian song “Se So Arrubate A Nonna” by the duo Bibi & Coco.
In response to the accusations, Raghav, who has provided vocals for the track featuring actors Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, took to Instagram to label the claims against Pritam as “completely baseless.”
“There has been a lot of conversation around the song ‘Mashooqa,’ and I feel it’s important to address the ongoing speculation directly. The allegations of plagiarism against Pritam da are completely baseless,” Chaitanya stated.
He emphasized the originality of the track, asserting, “As someone who has sung the song and been closely associated with its creative process, I can confidently say that ‘Mashooqa’ is an original composition.”
Raghav further explained that in music, certain melodic movements or motifs might evoke a sense of familiarity due to the limited ways emotions can be expressed. He argued that a motivic similarity does not equate to copying or plagiarism.
“To call this song inspired by another track is itself inaccurate, because the composition, arrangement, emotion, and treatment of ‘Mashooqa’ are entirely its own,” he added.
Earlier, Pritam had discussed his collaboration with Italian artist Mahmood on the track. Mahmood co-composed, wrote, and performed the Italian segments of the song.
Reflecting on this collaboration, Pritam remarked, “Imagine what collaboration with the right artist can bring to the soundscape of a song. ‘Mashooqa,’ which is shot in Sicily, is made more real and relatable by immensely talented Italian artist Mahmood, whose voice’s texture and singing style elevated the song to another level.”
Mahmood expressed his excitement about working on a Bollywood song, describing it as a unique experience. “I’ve always been fascinated by the world of Bollywood, the way music, cinema, and emotion become one powerful language. Collaborating with Pritam for this film was like stepping into an imaginary world I had admired from afar for a long time,” he said.
Directed by Homi Adajania, “Cocktail 2” also features Rashmika Mandanna and is considered a spiritual sequel to the 2012 film “Cocktail,” which starred Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty.
The film is set to be released on June 19, according to IANS.