Anirudh Ravichander has recently delivered a musical hat-trick with the hits 'Jailer,' 'Jawan,' and 'Thalapathy Vijay's Leo.' His songs from these films have gained significant popularity. However, amidst the growing fame and accolades, netizens have raised concerns about his composition 'Ordinary person' from 'Leo,' alleging it may be a rip-off from composer Otnicka's track 'Where are you.' One netizen commented, 'Anirudh gets 10 crore for every movie and 50% of the rights money (according to the law). He could have paid the original composer'. Another user expressed, 'Everyone has been praising Anirudh for the music while he kept stealing from original artists'.
The situation drew the attention of Otnicka himself, who responded by saying, 'Guys, thanks for your messages about the movie 'Leo'. I can see everything, but it's physically impossible to answer everyone. The mail is overflowing with messages, Instagram, as well as thousands of comments on YouTube under the video 'Where Are You'. The situation is very unclear… We are looking into this and a little later I will give an assessment of everything that is happening. But I'm not accusing anyone yet.' He also pointed out that, 'The label does not own the copyright and cannot grant a license without the artist's knowledge. No one contacted me and the team (sic).'
Anirudh's supporters have swiftly come to his defense, arguing that 'Ordinary person' is merely an inspired adaptation of 'Where are you.'
What we think
While it's undeniable that there are some similarities in the songs, it wouldn't be fair to label it as a complete copy. It appears that Anirudh drew inspiration from 'Where are you' for the initial part of 'Ordinary person,' but as the song progresses, it takes on its own distinct rhythm and melody, deviating from being a total duplicate.
The initial tune gradually recedes into the background, allowing Anirudh's composition to claim the spotlight. In contrast, 'Where are you' maintains the same notes and melody throughout, while 'Ordinary person' takes a different route. Each song has its distinct progression. Now, netizens must await Otnicka's response and see if Anirudh addresses the brewing controversies.
