Renowned lyricist, screenwriter, and filmmaker Mayur Puri, known for his work in Om Shanti Om, Happy New Year, and the ABCD dance film franchise, has delivered a scathing critique of private radio stations and music streaming platforms. In an emotionally charged statement, he calls out these entities for profiting off music while denying rightful royalties to the very artists who create it.
Puri didn’t mince words while slamming radio networks for hypocrisy. “All radio stations pretend they love artists. They say, ‘We love music, we serve music.’ Just tune into any radio show—RJs will keep repeating how passionate they are about music. But behind the scenes, the ones who wrote and composed those songs are being denied their royalties which is not just unethical, it’s illegal.”
He pointed out that radio networks have already lost two court cases over this issue:“They’ve lost in the sessions court. They were humiliated in the High Court. The judge even said, ‘You should be ashamed.’ And now, we might have to go to the Supreme Court to seek justice.”
Puri emphasized that artists are socially responsible citizens who understand the need to support national institutions like Akashvani and Doordarshan. “We know that in villages and border areas, farmers and soldiers listen to these government channels. We don’t expect royalties from them—they are for the nation. If the government ever wants to discuss it, we’re open to highly subsidized royalty terms. But if we’re not receiving anything, we won’t even ask.”
“Private stations are a business. They play songs every few minutes, and there’s an ad every 40 seconds, sometimes the song doesn’t even finish. They’re making huge money, yet they won’t pay the creators. That’s exploitation.”
“This Is Corporate Colonization”
Puri compared the current exploitation model to the strategies used during colonial rule: “This is classic corporate colonization. When the British came, they offered free tea. Once people got addicted, they charged money. Spotify and other platforms do the same—give you music for free to get you hooked, then monetize it. But nobody thinks about who’s going to pay the artist. Who covers their bills?”
Drawing attention to the fragile economic and healthcare situation of music professionals, Puri shared a grim reality: “The healthcare system is expensive. Our industry has no PPF, no provident fund, no safety net. I know lyricists in Tamil Nadu and Kerala who have written over 3,000 songs and today, they live in fear of getting sick. One heart attack, and all their savings will be wiped out. We’re sitting on a very irresponsible system.”
“As a society, as a country—we have failed our artists.”
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