"we haven’t received royalties for those songs"
Andrew Kishore’s family has revealed that they are fighting the legal battle for his songs’ royalties even after the singer’s death.
Andrew, affectionately known as the “Playback King” of Bengali cinema, is remembered for his remarkable contributions to Bangladeshi music.
Throughout his illustrious career, he became the voice behind songs in over a hundred films.
Many of these masterpieces continue to captivate audiences to this date.
However, his family recently revealed that, despite his enduring popularity, they have yet to receive any royalties for his film songs.
On what would have been Kishore’s birthday, his wife Lipika Andrew voiced the family’s frustration over the lack of royalties, saying:
“My husband sang primarily for films, yet we haven’t received royalties for those songs despite our claims. We only get royalties for a few audio tracks.
“Now, with the 2023 Copyright Act in effect, I urge companies to adhere to the law and grant us the royalties we are rightfully owed.”
The Copyright Act of 2023, which mandates fair compensation for artists, has sparked hope for musicians and their families.
However, the structure of film contracts has complicated this issue.
Zafar Raza Chowdhury, a former copyright registrar, explained that film song rights have traditionally belonged to producers.
This is because the Copyright Act of 2000 allowed producers full ownership.
The law has been updated to better protect artists as digital platforms have grown.
However, the amendments only apply to works produced after the new act took effect.
When asked if Kishore’s family could benefit from the recent changes, Chowdhury clarified that the songs recorded during Kishore’s career may not qualify.
However, he noted that the family might still have a path forward by filing a petition in the High Court.
Andrew Kishore’s legacy is filled with iconic songs, including ‘Jiboner Golpo Achhe Baki Olpo’, ‘Amar Buker Moddhe Khane’ and ‘Daak Diyachhen Doyal Amare’.
His career took off with his debut playback song ‘Ochinpurer Rajkumari Nei Je Tar Keu’ in the 1977 film Mail Train.
But his breakthrough came two years later with ‘Ek Chor Jay Chole’ in Protigga (1979).
Andrew Kishore’s impact on the industry was immense. He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer eight times.
Beyond this, he was also a judge on Bangladeshi Idol and earned five Bachsas Awards and three Meril-Prothom Alo Awards over his career.
The singer tragically passed away on July 6, 2020, after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy treasured by millions.
Loading ...