The Swag Mera Desi singer responded to the allegations saying that the songs are similar but not copied
Rapper Raftaar is grabbing the headlines after his latest song Mantoiyat from Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Manto, was recently released on YouTube. Amid positive reviews, Raftaar was slammed by Korean Band BTS’ fans for “plagiarism”.
Later, Raftaar responded to the accusations on Twitter, claiming that it is not his fault that the songs look similar. Mumbai-based filmmaker Shalini Harshwal directed Mantoiyat, which is composed and sung by Raftaar.
Check out Raftaar's tweet here
I can totally understand why BTS fans are upset and you have all the right to be. In our industry we are hired to do our part of the job. I personally acknowledge the resemblance of the video. I really feel bad for it but please dont target my music or the message it holds. 🙏🙏
— RaftaaR (@raftaarmusic)
The power to give credits is not in my hand. If it was, I would have written “video sets inspired by DO YOU”.
As an artist I love the way you all are standing up for yours. I only have authority over my part of the content and thats the music and lyrics. I feel sorry for that.
But, did you know, Raftaar is a Malayalee? Yes, his real name is Dilin Nair and he was born in 1988 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
His parents wanted him to have the identity of a Kerala-born Malayalee, even if Delhi was their home. However, Dilin Nair turned into Raftaar, donning flashy clothes, indoor glasses and sporting tattoos on his body.
In a Facebook post, he wrote, "People think I am a Sikh, I am not, I am a Kshatriya from Kerala but I respect the values of Sikhism from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for making me a part of the Punjabi Music industry. Thank you for letting someone from South India be a part of the North Indian music movement. With all my love and respect here is my take on SHERA DI KAUM (sic)."
According to a report in Indian Express, Raftaar is the only child to his parents. His father was a cleaner with the Indian Railways and mother a typist. They lived in a one-room apartment in a society in Munirka, Dehli, where they had to share a kitchen and toilet with six other families.
Last year, Raftaar married his longtime girlfriend Komal D Vohra in Delhi. Both met through a mutual friend six years ago.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.