Singer Raghav Chaitanya has publicly defended composer Pritam Chakraborty amid mounting controversy over the Cocktail 2 track 'Mashooqa', dismissing plagiarism allegations as 'completely baseless.' The song, picturised on Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, has drawn comparisons to the 1993 Italian number 'Se So Arrubate A Nonna' by duo Bibi & Coco, triggering a wave of online debate.

What Raghav Chaitanya Said

Chaitanya, who has lent his vocals to the song and was closely involved in its creative process, shared a detailed note on Instagram addressing the controversy head-on. 'There has been a lot of conversation around the song Mashooqa and I feel it's important to address the ongoing speculation directly. The allegations of plagiarism against Pritam da are completely baseless,' he wrote.

He further stated that as someone intimately associated with the track's creation, he could 'confidently say that Mashooqa is an original composition.' Chaitanya also offered a musicological explanation, noting that 'certain melodic movements or motifs can occasionally evoke familiarity because there are only so many ways emotions can be expressed musically,' and that 'a motivic similarity does not amount to copying or plagiarism.'

Why the Allegations Are 'Inaccurate', According to Chaitanya

The singer went a step further, arguing that even framing the track as 'inspired' misrepresents the facts. 'To call this song inspired by another track is itself inaccurate, because the composition, arrangement, emotion and treatment of Mashooqa are entirely its own,' he said.

Chaitanya also invoked Pritam's decades-long contribution to Indian film music, cautioning against reducing what he described as 'creative coincidence' to plagiarism. He urged listeners to experience the song in full rather than drawing conclusions from 'short clips or online comparisons.' He closed his note with a call for positivity: 'There is already so much negativity in the world, lets please spread some love.'

About Cocktail 2 and the Plagiarism Debate

The controversy centres on perceived melodic similarities between 'Mashooqa' and the decades-old Italian track. Music plagiarism claims in Bollywood have a long history, and Pritam himself has faced such allegations in the past — though he has consistently denied intentional copying. Critics argue that the resemblance in this case is more than coincidental, while supporters, including Chaitanya, maintain that surface-level comparisons ignore the full creative context of a composition.

Notably, this debate has intensified in the age of social media, where short audio clips can spread rapidly and shape public perception before a film even releases.

Cocktail 2: Release and Background

Cocktail 2, directed by Homi Adajania, is scheduled to release in cinemas on 19 June. The film is described as a spiritual sequel to the 2012 hit Cocktail, which starred Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty. The renewed attention on the soundtrack — whether positive or negative — has kept the film firmly in the public conversation ahead of its release.