Assam folk artists criticize Jubin Nautiyal for 'Dotara' song, say it defames Pratima Barua Pandey's iconic track

A recently released song titled 'Dotara,' produced by T-Series has sparked outrage among Goalpariya folk performers across Assam for inaccurately depicting the state's culture and customs.

Bhushan Kumar produced the song, which was sung by Bollywood singers Jubin Nautiyal and Payal Dev. It should be noted that the song's music video, starring Mouni Roy and Jubin Nautiyal, was released on March 21.

Commenting about the song, folk musicians of Assam alleged that the makers of the song had defamed the Goalporiya traditional components and the timeless composition of famed folk vocalist Pratima Barua Pandey.

Also Read: Soniye Je song: Aditya Roy Kapoor's party boy look is stealing hearts

Addressing the media, folk artist Joba Chakraborty stated, “The entire event is absolutely terrible. Pratima Barua Pandey's wonderful creation 'Komola Sundori Nache' was misrepresented in the song. Following the song's debut on YouTube, I learned that singer Jubin Nautiyal claimed ownership of the music. We will not allow this and will protest if necessary. Not only are the words offensive, but so are the song's attire and presentation."

Another individual from Goalpara claimed that creating music using some other musician’s works is not acceptable.

He said, “We demand that the song is banned immediately. It has hurt our sentiments and is an insult to our culture and traditions. It is the role of everyone and not just one person in society to protest against this heinous act. As an artist, you should create your own music and not copy what others have already created.”

Mouni Roy dances to the beat in the music video, as Jubin Nautiyal sings alongside her. The video has a similar tone to Badshah and Jacqueline Fernandez's song "Genda Phool," which is sung by Payal Dev. Both tracks feature Bengali traditional culture in their remixes.