Following a wave of social media scrutiny, veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan has broken his silence regarding allegations that his upcoming film, Bhooth Bangla, plagiarized a classic song by the legendary Satyajit Ray.
The controversy erupted shortly after the release of the track “Ram Ji Bhala Karein,” which features a hook line that many listeners found strikingly similar to “Bhuter Raja Dilo Bor” from Ray’s 1969 masterpiece, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne. Fans of the iconic Bengali director were quick to point out the resemblance, leading to a heated debate online about creative integrity and cinematic influence.
Speaking at a recent promotional event, Priyadarshan addressed the claims with a mix of pragmatism and professional respect. He dismissed the idea that using similar phrasing constitutes theft, comparing the situation to common tropes found across decades of Indian cinema.
“The word you are talking about is ‘Bhoot’. If I ask you how many songs in Indian cinema use the word ‘Deewana’ (crazy/lover), would you say only the first person who used it has the right to it? It is only a word,” Priyadarshan stated.
The director emphasized that while certain expressions might overlap due to the shared subject matter, the musical composition and melody of the new track are entirely original and have no structural connection to the Satyajit Ray classic.
Priyadarshan further explained that the lyrics were crafted specifically to fit the atmosphere of his horror-comedy. He noted that the creative team felt no hesitation during production because the lines were contextually relevant to a film titled Bhooth Bangla.
To support his point, he highlighted the history of the title itself:
The Original: A film titled Bhoot Bangla was released in 1965, starring Mehmood with music by R.D. Burman.
The Repetition: Titles and themes often cycle through generations of cinema as a way to honor the genre.
Despite his firm defense, Priyadarshan was careful to express his profound admiration for Satyajit Ray. He described the late auteur as one of the ultimate masters of the craft, noting that his own journey in filmmaking was heavily influenced by Ray’s work.
He clarified that any perceived similarity was a matter of common cinematic language and a shared cultural vocabulary rather than an attempt to replicate the work of a legend.
Bhooth Bangla marks a highly anticipated reunion between Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar, a duo responsible for some of the biggest comedies in Bollywood history. The horror-comedy features a star-studded ensemble, including Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and Wamiqa Gabbi.
Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and Cape of Good Films, the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on April 17, 2026, with special previews beginning the night before. To know such latest updates tuned tellyboosters.com Thank you!
