Ed Sheeran Vs Pashmina: The Bollywood art of copying in choreography

For long Bollywood has ripped off plots and tunes from hits in the West (Hollywood or otherwise). Joining them are choreographers.

While the West continues to ‘inspire’ Bollywood musicians, now it seems choreographers too are an inspired lot. While everyone is raving about Aditya Roy Kapoor and Kartina Kaif’s moves in Pashmina, a track from their recent release, it did not take much time for viewers to find out similarities between Pashmina and Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud.

Spot the difference: Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud and Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif’s Pashmina.

From the contemporary dance form to Katrina’s nude flowy dress, to the ambience and chemistry the duo share, everything about Pashmina reminds of Thinking Out Loud, which has won Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards. Talking about it Pashmina’s choreographer Bosco Martis of the duo Bosco-Caesar, says, “It is a contemporary dance form and I am sure viewers have seen similar setups in other songs as well. It’s just that they have done it before us and it looks like it is inspired.”

Fitoor: Katrina had to break a few bones to shoot Pashmina

Watch Pashmina song here:

Watch Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud here:

Read: Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapur sizzle in first look from Fitoor song

One more blast from past is Katrina’s number Dhoom Machale, which had a similar look and feel of Beyonce’s Run The World - the outfits, moves and the entire vibe.

Watch Katrina in the title track of Dhoom

Watch Beyonce’s Run The World

Rajeev Surti, choreographer of songs like Jalwa from Wanted (2009) and Aaj Ki Raat from Don (2006) said, “I think style and presentation are very important. It’s not OK to copy steps from Hollywood, we need to come up with better, original steps. Around 20-30% toh chalta hai, but we can’t copy the entire song.”

Read: Meet Bros Anjjan, the guys behind Baby Doll, Beparwah

In the past, Sunny Leone’s song Baby Doll from Ragini MMS 2 (2014) had uncanny similarities to Lady Gaga’s Applause, Jennifer Lopez’s Dance Again and Dev’s In the Dark. Talking about it the song’s choreographer Uma of the duo Uma-Gaiti says, “It’s a small world and you can be inspired by different artists. Even the biggest stars are influenced by others, as long it is not plagiarism I don’t think there is any problem. We are here to entertain.”

Sunny Leone in Baby Doll looks very similar to Lady Gaga in Applause.

Ashley Lobo, choreographer, says, “No one can claim to be original. It’s not only in Bollywood, it goes both ways, artists from the West must also be inspired by our dance forms.” Atul Mohan, trade expert, warns, “Today, anything is just a click away. Getting inspired is one thing and ripping it off is something totally different.”

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