Kishore Kumar bio-pic stuck on the songs

Anurag Basu’s bio-pic on Kishore Kumar featuring Ranbir Kapoor has hit an unexpected snag. Apparently the original imperishable Kishore Kumar songs whose rights are with Seregama-HMV are not financially feasible.
Says a source, “Anurag Basu has decided to use Kishoreda’s original songs .And there are so many of them that are required! Saregama wants a packet for each one of the songs.Close to 35 lakhs per song.And since Anurag wants at least 20-25 of Kishoreda’s songs the numbers are mindboggling.Even if Anurag uses a snatch of a song Saregama wants the entire amount that they get for a complete song. ”
When contacted Adarsh Gupta Business Head of Saregama admitted that the company has been approached for Kishore Kumar songs in his bio-pic. “But we are not at liberty to discussed the finances. The copyright for the songs are under negotiation.”
When told that the film industry feels Saregama makes exorbitant financial demands for the copyrights of songs Gupta defends the company. “We charge what the songs deserve.And it isn’t as though we’re rigid about the rates.We recently gave away some of Lataji’s songs for free to Viacom 18’s Bombay Talkies.Since the film commemorates Indian cinema the songs are our token gesture to the endeavour.”
Gupta admits the songs are not being sold for a song. “If the songs are used for promotional purposes in addition to their presence in a film,it’s anything between 30-35 lakhs for every song used. And if we sell the copyrights of our songs to a film the soundtrack of the remake must also come back to us.But yes, once the copyrights are sold the songs can be used in any way .We don’t believe in curbing creativity.”
Gupta says it’s boom-time for old songs in our movies. “In terms of old songs being used in films and in advertising we are witnessing an all-time high.Retro is a mega-trend.30 to 35 percent of all the music being used today is retro across all media.The craving for nostalgic music has never been so prominent. To my mind the urge for nostalgia music has acquired a wave dimension.And it’s getting bigger.It’s not just one or two songs. The demand for old songs is across the board.”
Lataji feels some of the profits from the copyright sales of old songs should go to the music composers.
Says Gupta, “I wouldn’t want to comment on that. We go strictly by contracts.”