Blackpink Jennie plagiarism row: Pritam defends Korean singer, says 'similar flow doesn’t make it a copy'

Bollywood composer Pritam said that some similarities tend to happen in music. He noted that even the name of the artist and Bhatt's character in the film sound similar.

New Delhi: Bollywood composer Pritam has come out in support of Blackpink member Jennie, whose latest track "Like Jennie" has been receiving backlash due to its similarities with the music of "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani".

A section of social media users recently accused the Korean singer of plagiarism after her song "Like Jennie" sounded similar to that of "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani's" title anthem, "Rani's Intro Theme", which introduced Alia Bhatt's character Rani, in the movie.

Pritam, who composed the music for the 2023 film also starring Ranveer Singh, shared a lengthy note on his Instagram handle on Friday and said that some similarities tend to happen in music. He noted that even the name of the artist and Bhatt's character in the film sound similar.

"Rani and Jennie are names that rhyme, so a similar flow in one phrase doesn’t make it a copy. In music, minor similarities are bound to happen—whether through rhymes, phrasing, or even within the same genre," he wrote.

"Instead of focusing on tiny details, it’s important to see the bigger picture. In today’s interconnected world, where artists share the same platforms, no one is deliberately trying to copy someone else’s work. Creating a song takes immense effort, and if an artist truly resonates with an idea, they can simply collaborate."

The 53-year-old composer, whose credits include songs such as "Kesariya", "Lehra Do" and "Tu Hi Mera", also said that coincidences tend to happen in creative process.

"Music is about creativity, unique artistic perspective, influence...Rather than tearing artist down, celebrating their work makes far more sense. He concluded by extending his wishes to Jennie.

"Like Jennie" is a track from Jennie's latest album "Ruby". It comprises 15 songs in total.