'Matter Resolved': Yahya Bootwala Clears Air On Kesari 2 Plagiarism Issue

Last week, a controversy erupted surrounding the Bollywood film Kesari 2, as poet and content creator Yahya Bootwala accused the filmmakers of using his poem without permission. The incident quickly gained attention on social media, raising concerns about the protection of intellectual property in the entertainment industry.

'Matter Resolved': Yahya Bootwala Clears the Air on Kesari 2 Plagiarism Issue

However, in an update shared on April  27, Yahya took to Instagram to announce that the issue had been resolved. He wrote, “So dosto, the producers and I have managed to amicably solve the issue in the best interest of both parties. Thank you guys for your support in these 2 days, you guys have been very kind.”

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A post shared by Yahya Bootwala (@yahyabootwala)

Who is Yahya Bootwala?

Bootwala, known for his powerful storytelling performances, took to Instagram to call out the filmmakers after discovering that his poem "Jallianwala Bagh" had been used in Kesari 2 without his consent or any credit. The poem in question, which Bootwala had performed in 2020, was reportedly copied by the film's screenwriter and incorporated into a key scene without any prior acknowledgement or permission.

Where is The Line Between Inspiration and Theft?

In his Instagram post, Bootwala shared his disbelief, expressing that the words he had written, which were deeply personal, had been used in a commercial film for dramatic effect. He made it clear that while art and inspiration flow freely, copying someone's work without crediting them crosses a line. "This was not inspiration, it was a blatant copy," he stated.

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A post shared by Yahya Bootwala (@yahyabootwala)

The poem, which Bootwala had shared in his YouTube video, centred around themes of loss, legacy, and history. Bootwala explained that such personal expressions, which come from real-life experiences, carry significant emotional value for the artist. Seeing it used without his knowledge or consent in a commercial product was, for him, not only a violation of his creative rights but also a deeply hurtful experience.

Since Bootwala's post went viral, many of his followers and fellow artists expressed support for him, with many calling for stronger protections for independent creators in the entertainment industry. There has been a growing sentiment that smaller, independent artists are often vulnerable to having their work co-opted by larger, more powerful entities, especially in a commercialised industry like Bollywood.