Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke from KD: The Devilhave took the social media by storm as netizens have been aggressively calling out the obscene visuals and sexually suggestive and vulgar lyricis.
While after the public outroar, complaints and a legal notice by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Hindi version of the song has been taken down from YouTube and other streaming platforms, other versions including Kannada, Tamil and Telugu are still available at the time of publishing this.
Now, Raqueeb Alam, the lyricist of the Hindi version Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke Sarke (Sarse ninna seraga sarse in Kannada), have made his stance clear on the controversy.
Alam told DH online that he had merely translated the lyrics from Kannada to Hindi and does not take any responsibility of the vulgar lyrics.
"When director Prem asked me to write the lyrics, I had refused. I told him if I am writing toh main apne hisaab se likhunga (I will write in in my way). Then, he said that he had himself written the lyrics and he needs it translated word by word," Alam said.
"Unko (Prem) hype chahaiye, controversy chahaiye thoda film ko chalane ke liye, hota hai na aisa, isliye. Maine bola tha ye censor ho jayega. Par censor se pehle to YouTube hai na, vahan par nikaal ke hype kar lete hain, censor me nikalega to nikaal dega (He wanted controversy to promote the film. I had told him the song will get censored. But the song first releases on YouTube and then goes for censorship checks. So he must have thought let's create the hype on YouTube and there's no problem if it gets censored later on," Alam claimed.
Alam revealed that he had asked the director not to associate his name with the song.
"Maine unko bola Hindi me ye song nahi chalega bohot hi ghatiya hai. ( I had told him the song won't work in Hindi as it is vulgar). But he insisted that I should translate it line by line. To which I said, I will do it but don't give me credit for the song. Then, he sent one of his associates, Ayyapa, and we both sat down to translate the song from Kannada to Hindi," Alam added.
'Sarke Chunar' song from 'KD: The Devil' removed after NHRC's notice against vulgar lyricsHe said that the director later set the tunes according to his requirement.
When Alam came to know about the controversy, he said he called the director and asked him to take down the song.
"Jab mujhe controversy ka pata chala toh maine unko call kiya aur bola ye aapne kya kiya, mera naam dal diya. Ya to mera naam nikaliye ya phir gaana hataiye, toh unhone gaana hata diya YouTube se (When I got to know about the controversy, I called them and asked them to either remove my name from the song or else take down the song completely. So, they took it down)," Alam said.
The director then asked Alam to write 2 fresh antaras (verses).
"I worked the whole night on Monday and wrote fresh lyrics for 2 antaras which they have recorded yesterday and will launch it today around 12 pm with an apology note," Alam said and added that his friend from Bengaluru had called him and informed that even Kannada version is facing a lot of backlash.
"Log bohot thu-thu kar rahein hain. Usne mera naam daal diya aur mereko phasa diya." He added that while songs like Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai and Chikni Chameli are on a lighter note, Sarke Chunar is 'extreme'.
"And if Prem says that he is talking about the bottle, it is important to realise that bottle is mentioned at the last. Before that you have already said a lot. In songs like Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai, the next line itself says 'choli ke peeche dil hai mera' unlike here where the reference comes at the last," Alam said.
Alam is referencing to the lines, "Pehle Uthale, Ander Wo Dale, Neeche Ek Boond Na Girae, Khali Kar Ke Nikale, Mujh Pe Na Girana Mujhe Lagta Hai Dar, Bhed Khul Jaae Na Sambhal Ke Jaana Ghar, Choosega ya chatega, jo karega kar, Teri Bottle Pe Na Pade Kisi Ki Bhi Nazar."
Alam later added that he, too, is a family man and would never want his family to listen to such a song.
"Kal ko mere bacche puchenge ki papa aap is tarah ka gaana likhte ho kya. Ya koi unko bolega ki tumhare papa is tarah ka gaana likhte hain. (I have children, too, what if they see such a song of mine or if someone asks them 'what kind of songs your father writes'). I am a family man, I would never want such songs to heard by the society," he said.
"Mujhe kya zaroorat hai aise gaane likhne ki," he asked while pointing out that he has written the launching songs for Women's World Cup and for the Men's T20 World Cup which India has won recently.
While concluding the interview, he urged other lyricists and filmmakers to be responsible and avoid making such double-meaning and vulgar songs.
"I would urge people, including myself, to choose words and lyrics wisely for songs so that we can create a better society for our children. I would also like to tell the director ki Prem bhai agar aap aainda se aisa gaana likhenge toh aap samaaj ko bigaad rahein hain aur uski zimmedari aap par aayegi (Prem, if you continue to write such songs you will be responsible for spreading a negative message in the society)," Alam concluded.