Priyadarshan Defends His Film Amid Plagiarism Claims: What’s the Controversy?

Filmmaker Responds to Allegations

Mumbai: Renowned director Priyadarshan has addressed the recent accusations regarding the use of a phrase from the song ‘Bhuter Raja Dilo Bor’ in his forthcoming movie Bhooth Bangla.

The track ‘Ram Ji Bhala Karein’ from Bhooth Bangla incorporates a hook from the classic song ‘Bhuter Raja Dilo Bor’, originally featured in the acclaimed Bengali film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, directed by the legendary Satyajit Ray.

During the trailer launch event for Bhooth Bangla held in the city on Monday, Priyadarshan responded to the plagiarism claims.

He expressed to reporters, “I hold immense respect for Satyajit Ray, a master from whom I have learned a great deal about filmmaking. Furthermore, the term you are referring to is ‘Bhoot’. If I were to ask how many songs in Indian cinema include the word ‘Deewana’, does that mean only the original user has the right to it? It’s merely a word. We can’t restrict usage; if someone uses a couple of lines, it doesn’t mean others can’t use it. The melody is unrelated to the original song.”

He continued, “The lyricist crafted those lines, which is why we felt assured there was no wrongdoing. Additionally, the context matters since our film is titled Bhooth Bangla, and there was a previous film with a similar name. Such repetitions are common, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I revere Satyajit Ray as a god of Indian cinema,” he added.

The cast of Bhooth Bangla includes notable actors such as Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Tabu, Rajpal Yadav, Jisshu Sengupta, Asrani, and Mithila Palkar.

Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures, a branch of Balaji Telefilms Ltd, in collaboration with Cape of Good Films, Bhooth Bangla is directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Akshay Kumar, Shobha Kapoor, and Ektaa R Kapoor. The film is set to release in theaters on April 16, 2026.