Nachiketa’s ‘Nilanjana’ was inspired by Feedback’s song, alleges Sidhu

Renowned Indian musician Sidhu, the frontman of the band Cactus, has alleged that several tracks by Nachiketa Chakraborty bear musical similarities to existing compositions. To back up his claim, he cited specific examples, including “Nilanjana 1”, one of Nachiketa’s most well-known songs, which he suggested takes inspiration from a piece by the Bangladeshi band Feedback.

Sidhu shared these remarks during a conversation on the YouTube channel “Time and Tide Podcast with Sourav”. As the discussion spanned his career and global music trends, the topic shifted to Nachiketa. Sidhu then pointed out that even an artiste of Nachiketa’s prominence has songs that appear to be influenced by earlier works.

Sidhu brought up Nachiketa’s hit tracks “Rajshree” and “Nilanjana 1” while discussing musical influences. He remarked, “‘Rajshree’ is clearly inspired, and ‘Nilanjana 1’—specifically the line ‘Hazar Kobita Bekar Sobi-ta’—is undeniably derived from a song by Bangladesh’s Feedback band.”

To illustrate his point, he sang a portion of Feedback’s “Din Jay Din Chole Jay, Raat Jay Raat……..Ei Monke Bojhaano Je Gel Na”, suggesting a melodic resemblance between Neelanjana and Din Jay.

Sidhu elaborated further, asserting, “The chorus melody of ‘Nilanjana’ is directly lifted from ‘Din Jay’. Just as ‘Holud Pakhi’ represents Cactus, Nilanjana stands as Nochida’s signature song. However, when the defining track of an artiste’s career bears significant resemblance to a Bangladeshi composition, it inevitably sparks discussion.”

Sidhu then referenced another well-known track by Nachiketa, “Nilanjana 3”, suggesting that its composition bore similarities to a Spanish song.

To support his argument, he even hummed a few lines from the Spanish piece. He further claimed that the melody of Nachiketa’s “Chol Jabo Toke Niye” was influenced by a song by British musician Sting.

He then remarked, “Hasn’t Anjan Dutt also drawn from existing tunes? Of course, he has. Sometimes, a melody leaves a lasting impression, and I feel drawn to rework it. But what’s wrong with acknowledging that influence? There’s nothing wrong with admitting that a song inspired me. Being open about it doesn’t diminish an artist; in fact, it enhances their credibility.”