Avid listeners and followers of Western Music must have heard the news of veteran artists such as Elton John, Beatles or Boney M still getting ‘Huge Royalties’ for their original creative contributions in their Hit Classic Albums or Tracks. In a layman’s language their works are still being heard after so many years and they are still being paid a proportion out of these sales even today in the last span of their lives when it really means a lot.
Now coming to our part of the world, where our own Indian Companies are not paying any such kind of royalty to the lyricist, music composers or singers from decades I would like to begin with a recent shocking incident as told by Javed Akhtar Saab in his speech. One fine day, a foreign company starts asking the address of music director Pt. Khemchand Prakash Ji who had composed the song “Aayega Aanewala” in film “Mahal” released in 1949 (more than six decades ago). The reason being that they wanted to handover a royalty of few thousand rupees to him as their normal routine followed in music business. Now after many inquires, they find out that Pt. Khemchand Prakash is no more but his wife can be found in Malad Railway Station in Mumbai sitting as a BEGGAR……………………!
If the above mentioned disgustingly disgraceful and shameful slap on our Indian Film & Music Industry doesn’t move you because the original creator was DEAD then let me make you aware of another talented person Abhilash Ji, who is still alive and not being given a single penny as royalty till date for a song which he wrote in the year 1986 for N. Chandra’s “Ankush”.
The song has become an immensely respectful, cult classic in all these years post its release in 1986 and is also being used as a daily morning prayer in several schools operating in various parts of the country. Moreover, even today it can still be found playing as “A Mobile Ringtone” on millions of mobile phones in the entire nation. However the actual harsh truth is that the man who wrote these immortal lines “Itni Shakti Hamein Dena Daata, Man Ka Vishwaas Kamzor Ho Na”……..still lives in a SLUM area, getting nothing out of any kind of revenue being generated from this single track, now respected as a Bhajan or Prayer by the whole INDIA. And this is not the end of such instances and you will be simply shocked to hear the gigantic names of artists who died in a sad state being the victim of this wrong policy being practiced in the country since independence.
Now this important loophole of the Industry was presented before the law makers of the nation by Janaab Javed Akhtar Saab and he rightly deserves many praises, applauses and accolades for this brave act of his, made in front of the people who matter, representing every creative personality of this country.
Mr. Javed Akhtar made a fabulous heartfelt speech of more than 20 minutes in the assembly and every creative person residing in India should must listen to each and every word spoken in his important presentation by sparing only few minutes of their valuable time without any exception.
Javed Saab’s much needed initiative becomes even more daring and important because there always have been many representatives from the Film Industry in the Parliament Assembly since decades. But no one had the guts to bring on the issue so clearly and loudly before the law makers ever before. And those names include one of the biggest names of Indian Film Music Industry, Lata Mangeshkar.
Below mentioned is the Video Link of Javed Saab’s legendary speech which compelled the assembly members to pass the bill in Parliament which is nothing less than a revolutionary win for the entire music industry and its blessed creators.
My heartiest Congratulations and millions of Thanks to Javed Akhtar Saab for being so courageous, brave and thoughtful for having raised this important issue in front of the country’s reputed administrators and lawmakers.
You have really achieved a big goal for the benefit of the whole future generation of creative people emerging from India Javed Saab and I sincerely wish to give you A Big Thanks from all of them in advance with,
HIS BLESSINGS
Click the links below for more details on the topic.
http://indiawest.com/news/4592-landmark-copyright-amendment-bill-passed-by-rajya-sabha.html
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A Million Thanks to Javed Akhtar Saab for his important speech in the Parliament representing the Indian Music Industry, Javed Akhtar in Rajya Sabha, Royalties for performing artists, Share of revenue for the artists, Indian Copyright Act Amendment