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Singer and songwriter Omer Nadeem has accused Indian singer Sonu Nigam of plagiarising his song ‘Aye Khuda’. In an Instagram post on December 4, Nadeem urged Nigam to acknowledge the original track.

“If you’re going to pull this off, you could’ve done it with some finesse. Huge fan of Sonu Nigam, but let’s be real, this is light years away from the real deal,” he said.

The song, ‘Sun Zara’ by label T-series, has copied the entire melody, with slight alterations in tempo and the addition of drums for a more upbeat feel.

Released on December 2, 2023, the music video for ‘Sun Zara’ has already garnered 1.9 million views, while Nadeem’s original song has 537,000 views on YouTube.

In a conversation with Images, Nadeem said, “Once a song is released, there is no turning back. But a little credit wouldn’t hurt. It’s about showing love and respect. For where it started.”

Reminiscing about the song, he said that when the track was released in 2009, it dominated the charts in the UK. The song resonated with not only Pakistani fans but also fans across the border. “I still have a significant following from the track on my Facebook page,” the singer pointed out.

The credits for ‘Sun Zara’ omit any mention of Omer Nadeem or his record label, fuelling discontent among Nadeem’s fans.

“Fans’ sentiments are hurt; there is an emotional attachment to my song ‘Aye Khuda’, making the song sound so ordinary is an insult to injury,” Nadeem said.

Many fans used social media channels to express their discontent with plagiarism.

Actor Armeena Khan questioned Sonu Nigam on social media, asking why he is stealing music.

Meanwhile, other social media users said they remember the song as it was a significant part of their younger days.

Nadeem said that since he posted on social media, he has received overwhelming support. However, none of the makers of ‘Sun Zara’ have contacted him.

Images reached out to Sonu Nigam and DJ Sheziwood, who is responsible for the music of the song, but has received no response.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time an Indian company and singer have been accused of plagiarising a Pakistani song. Previously, Abrarul Haq accused Bollywood of copying his song ‘Nach Punjaban’ for Jug Jug Jeeyo. However, he could not take any legal action as the rights to the song were owned by a record company that sold it to T-series.

Hadiqa Kiani had also called out Indian singer Kanika Kapoor for copying her song ‘Boohey Barian’. However, the Indian singer later claimed that the allegations by Kiani were false and the song was original.