Bappi angry over Gappi

MUMBAI - Music composer Bappi Lahiri has sent a legal notice to the makers of the live action animation film Toonpur Ka Superrhero for modelling a cartoon character in the film on him.

The notice has been sent to the film’s director Kireet Khurana as well as producers Kumar Mangat Pathak and Krishika Lulla of Eros Entertainment.

Confirming the news, Khurana told IANS: Yes, we received the legal notice Friday night that claimed that there were similarities between Bappi-ji and our character Gappi. Our lawyers are working on a suitable response.

The character Gappi, who has long hair and wears jazzy outfits, is a musician. He wears dark glasses and lots of gold chains. Lahiri says that the character is a caricaturish representation of him and he is not too happy about it.

Khurana explained that the character has influences from many sources and not just one.

We have been inspired by many sources. His clothes are like Elvis Presley, the lights on the clothes are like the ones Amitabh Bachchan wore in “Yaaraana” for the song Saara Zamaana. So there are many elements to his personality.

If some similarities are felt then those are completely unintentional. All the characters are original and we had no intention of making a character lampooning anyone, he said.

Toonpur Ka Superrhero has both live and animated characters. The film shows actors Ajay Devgn and Kajol playing humans who enter the world of cartoons. It is slated to release Friday.