Such scene on Maharana Pratap song: Court pulls up Mirzapur makers in Shoorveer row

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the lawyer appearing for the makers of Mirzapur: The Movie to watch the film and return to court after satisfying his "conscience". It was hearing a Public Interest Litigation over the use of the song Shoorveer in the film's climax scene.

The plea seeks directions to authorities to frame guidelines on the use of songs, musical compositions and other material linked to historically or culturally revered personalities. This is to ensure that such material is not used in a manner inconsistent with the character, values or legacy of the personality concerned. It also seeks the removal of Shoorveer from the climax scene of Mirzapur: The Movie or, alternatively, its replacement with other suitable background music.

The petitioner has argued that the song, released in July 2020 by Rapperiya Baalam as a tribute to Maharana Pratap, was wrongly used in a gangster setting despite lyrics referring to Mewar, Chetak, honour, sacrifice and Maharana Pratap's legacy. The song itself begins with the line, "It is not a gangster song".

Appearing before a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, counsel for the petitioner said the petitioner, a graduate of Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology in Udaipur, Rajasthan, was shocked on seeing the song used in a film centred on a violent struggle for territorial and criminal power. The plea said the film features characters such as Kaleen Bhaiya, Guddu, Munna and Babban Yadav, and depicts gang wars, drugs, illegal weapons, sexual abuse, harm to the country's own people, illegal empire-building, revenge and criminal rivalry.

The bench said, "We are only on protection of the fundamental right of an artist. It may be whether it is an artwork or not, that call has to be taken either by the Central Government. We are not making any comment. We are only saying that we perhaps are not competent to decide such issues."

The petitioner's lawyer, however, pressed for interim relief and submitted that the background music could be muted and that "only four words" could be deleted or muted for the time being. The bench then asked advocate Jay K. Bhardwaj, appearing for film-maker Excel Entertainment Pvt Ltd, for his response.

While Bhardwaj argued on the basis of instructions, the bench asked him, "Have you seen the film?" He said he had not, but had been told that the scene was not exactly as it was being portrayed. The bench then told him, "You please see and come tomorrow. If your conscience is satisfied... you are playing such a scene in the background song displaying Maharana Pratap," and adjourned the plea until the next day.Background to the dispute

The dispute has also drawn objections from Rajasthani musician Rapperiya Baalam, who has challenged both the use of Shoorveer in the film and Trouper Records' claim that the track had been officially licensed to Excel Entertainment for in-film use. Baalam has said that the copyright and licensing rights remain with him and that the song was used in a sequence depicting gangsters without his permission and without on-screen credit.

Speaking to India Today, Baalam said he was objecting both to the alleged unauthorised use of the song and to the manner in which it was placed in the film.

He said, "I hold the copyright and licensing rights. You can verify this in the public domain; the song is registered in my name with the Registrar of Copyrights. The entire sound recording-audio, lyrics, music, and vocals-is registered to me. If they make a counter-claim, tell them that I have made my registration number public; it is there for everyone to see. They are merely the distributors." He also said artists depend on such platforms and distributors to take their songs to Spotify, YouTube Music and Instagram.

Baalam said he and his team had long presented Rajasthani culture and heritage through modern hip-hop fusion and would continue to make rooted songs. He said the Shoorveer series also included songs on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and added that the latter had received 400-500 million views.

"I would have had no objection if it were any other song. However, regarding this specific song, they should have considered the implications and sought permission before using it without a licence. I am simply asserting my rights," he said.

Explaining his objection to the scene, Baalam said, "The way that song has been used amounts to a misuse. It involves religious sentiments and represents the pride of the entire nation; it is a song dedicated to Maharana Pratap." He added, "I object to the manner in which the song has been used as background music to glorify villains. The song was used without my permission-it features my voice and my music, and I hold the copyright. A licence was granted without my consent, which is absolutely wrong."

In a video posted on Instagram, he said, "Aaj to dil dukhaya hai (Today my heart is hurting)," and said some people might ask why he was upset when his song had been featured in a film like Mirzapur.

"The team never took my permission to use the song. This song was dedicated to Maharana Pratap Singh, and you're using it to glorify villains? Is this okay?" he said. He added that if the Mirzapur team had approached him after liking the song, he would have given them "ten such alternatives". "But to use it without permission, I do not know who you took the rights from. I am hurt because I feel like you've insulted Rajasthan and Maharana Pratap ji. It's not something I can digest," he said.

Baalam said the protest was not his alone and that people across Rajasthan were opposing the use of the song, while he had also received support from other parts of India. The controversy has also triggered reactions online, with several social media users criticising the makers for using a song associated with Maharana Pratap in a gangster setting.

In a social media statement, Trouper Records said, "Trouper Records is pleased to share that Shoorveer was officially licensed to Excel Entertainment for in-film use in Mirzapur: The Film. Congratulations to Excel Entertainment and the entire Mirzapur team on the release! (sic)"More about the film

Mirzapur: The Movie, based on the 2018 Prime Video series Mirzapur, credits John Stewart Eduri for the score, while Ray, Junaid Kumar, Anand Bhaskar and Dhanda Nyoliwala are credited for the music. Directed by Gurmeet Singh and written by Puneet Krishna, the film is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under Excel Entertainment, and stars Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar and Ravi Kishan.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka SharmaPublished On: Sep 16, 2026 18:31 ISTALSO READ | Beyond star power: Is Hindi cinema entering a film-first era?