NEW DELHI: Lahore based Pakistani singer Adeel has sent a legal notice to the producers of the soon to be released film â€?Jugaad’ insisting that his song â€?Kise Awaaz Doon’ recorded for the film should be shown in the film, failing which he says he will initiate civil and criminal proceedings.
Earlier, Sandiip Kapur who has produced the film had decided to scrap the song following public sentiment after the 26 November terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Kapur went on record to say that while he had spent a lot of money on the song and its picturisation and had nothing personal against Adeel, he had to keep the people’s emotions in mind. The song features in the music CDs that have been released by Junglee Music, a Times Music sub brand.
In his legal notice sent through a Delhi-based lawyer, Adeel who had sung the popular sing â€?Move your Body’ in â€?Kismat Konnection’, also said that the producers of the film were obliged to promote him and his song following the agreement with him. The film is due for a theatrical release on 13 February.
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He said in the notice that not promoting him or his song and scrapping it from his film amounted to a â€?breach of contract/agreement’ and was a mala fide act.
Earlier, Adeel had in conversations with the media, said that while he was also angered by the attacks, he was hurt at the removal of his song from the film. “I felt bad because I had worked hard on the song, Kise awaz dun, and the promotional video, which they have scrapped now. I was not even called for the music launch of the movie on 2 January,” Adeel said.
It is learnt that the decision to scrap the song followed an outcry by the Shiv Sena to ban Pakistani artists. Even the veteran Ghulam Ali who was slated to come to India had to cancel his tour.
However, Adeel was reported to have told the media that he was a fan of Indian films and would continue to sing for Indian films, expressing the hope that the tension between the two nations would ease.
Being released this week, the film â€?Jugaad’ is based on the sealing drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi just over a year earlier. Shot at various locations in Delhi and Gurgaon, the film is said to be the real life story of its producer Sandiip Kapur.
In a telephonic interview from Mumbai, Kapur told Radioandmusic.com that the legal notice had been referred to his lawyers and he would react later on this after consulting them. He said while he stood by his decision not to promote the video of the song, he had not yet taken a final decision about removing the song from the film. Kapur also stood by his decision of not inviting Adeel to India for the music release.
Kapur also denied that he had taken this step under pressure from the Shiv Sena, adding that he had done this on his own to send a message to Pakistan. Meanwhile, it is learnt that some other films released after the November attacks in Mumbai – including Rohit Nayyar’s â€?Aasma – the sky is the limit’ and Anil senior’s â€?Dil Kabaddi’, had carried songs sung by Pakistani singers.
Starring Manoj Bajpai, Hrishita Bhatt, Vijay Raz, Sanjay Misra and debutant Nitin Arora, â€?Jugaad’ is the voice of struggle of a successful CEO who wants to survive and restart his life from a scratch. â€?Jugaad’ is directed by Aanand Kumar with music by Sachin Gupta.
