Why this Kolaveri di?: Petitioner seeks ban on 'epic' song
The song, written and sung in a mix of Tamil and English by the Tamil Nadu based actor and play back singer Dhanush, went viral on the internet shortly after its release on November 16, 2011 and has so far garnered over 50 million views on Youtube, so far. The title loosely translated means "Why do you have this murderous rage against me?"
The petitioner stated that the song was having a negative influence on children, inciting violence and aggression.
The song has practically been heard all over the world, despite it being in Tanglish, with people coming up with their own renditions of the song. The song has been reproduced in English, Hindi and Punjabi, amongst others. Some have also remastered it in different genres, such as hip hop, R&B and also a popular children version, sung by famous Indian play back singer Sonu Nigam’s son.
Bans on Bollywood songs are unheard of in this part of the world, but considering that Dhanush is also India's Tamil film industry's superstar Rajnikanth's son-in-law, it is not a surprise that the song garnered such popularity, becoming a part of today's pop culture.
Rajnikanth, too, has attained a cult figure status in India and amongst the south asian diaspora for his on screen histrionics.
Recently another popular item number from the film Housefull 2 has been getting flak for its seemingly 'immoral' lyrics. The song titled 'Anarkali disco chali', from the Sajid Khan flick, is said to have upset the sentiments of a certain segment of society in India, who opine that the song's frivolous take on the famous Salim-Anarkali love story might distort its history for the youth.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misreported the song as being banned, instead a petition has been filed seeking a ban. The error has been rectified.
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