Bhubaneswar: The controversy surrounding performance of Sambalpuri cult song Rangabati by Bollywood musicians Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy at the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship was today sorted out after the original singers gave a ‘no objection’ for its performance.
The Sambalpur district collector Samarth Verma today called a meeting of the State sports officials and the singers of the song Jitendra Haripal and Krishna Patel, the original composer and director Prabhudatta Pradhan and writer Mitrabhanu Gauntia after the artistes behind the original song denied permission for the performance of the song during the inaugural event of the mega event by the musical trio.
Later, the collector announced that Rangabati would be performed at the inaugural event but with the originality of the song intact. "All of them have given no objection certificate (NOC) and they are proud that their song will be performed in the international event," said Verma.
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Earlier, a similar controversy had erupted when a remix of the song Rangabati was sung by Bollywood singers Sona Mohapatra and Rituraj Mohanty. Even the youth wing of BJP had lodged a complaint against them at a police station in Sambalpur for not taking permission from the original lyricist and composer and distorting the song hurting the feelings of millions of people in western Odisha.