Plagiarism accusations have long haunted the music industry — and the latest storm features Bollywood and K-pop at the center.

In March 2025, K-pop artist Jennie posted a nine-second teaser of her new single, Like Jennie, on social media. What was meant to generate excitement around its imminent release quickly turned into controversy when netizens noticed that the rhythm of the song closely resembled Rani’s Intro Theme from the 2023 Indian film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, composed by Pritam.

The teaser sparked a heated debate between fans and raised important questions about the thin line between inspiration, sampling, and plagiarism in today’s music industry.

Alia Bhatt Fans Blame Jennie

Rani’s Intro Theme, which was played during Alia Bhatt’s character Rani’s introduction in the Indian movie, contained rhythmic beats and a repetition of “Rani.” Several social media users commented that Like Jennie was suspiciously similar in rhythmic composition, repeating a chant of “Jennie,” so much so that Jennie’s song appeared to have borrowed from Pritam’s composition. Alia Bhatt’s fan circles were quick to accuse K-pop star Jennie of plagiarism, pointing fingers at the suspect similarities and demanding an official statement from the artist or her producers.

BLINKs Defend Jennie

While many netizens agreed with the plagiarism accusations, Jennies’ fans, known as BLINKs, dismissed the allegations. Others pointed out that there were no significant similarities, and others claimed that it was not fair to bash the song prior to its complete release. They explained that brief previews tend to have less context in a piece of music, hence it becomes hard to assess originality from a teaser. The debate quickly spiraled into a heated online argument, with both fanbases passionately defending their idols.

Fan War Takes an Ugly Turn

What was initially a music debate quickly escalated into a fierce fan war, with some of her fans going so far as to use racial undertones. Alia Bhatt’s fans pointed to her global fame, including her stint in the world’s biggest RRR and her Met Gala red carpet appearance, highlighting Bollywood’s increasing influence in the global sphere. Jennie’s fans pointed to her ranking as one of the biggest K-pop idols and a member of BLACKPINK, a worldwide-known group with a huge following. The mounting argument soon led to bigger conversations about cultural appropriation, the control of Western and Korean music industries over Bollywood, and the past neglect of South Asian contributions to global pop culture.

Pritam Weighs in on the Controversy

In the midst of increasing controversy, music composer Pritam shared his view and supported Jennie. In an Instagram post, he clarified that slight similarities in music are inevitable because of shared aspects such as rhyming, phrasing, or musical genre. He also mentioned that even the names “Rani” and “Jennie” rhyme, which might be yet another reason for the similarity factor. His post asked fans to wait for the full release and clarified that the music world is dependent on changing inspirations and not direct copying.

Grasping the Distinction: Sampling versus Plagiarism

One of the large problems with this argument is the distinction between sampling and plagiarism. Sampling is the re-use of a portion of a sound recording on another recording, generally by layering rhythms, melodies, or dialogue with digital equipment. It is common practice in the music industry and is commonly recognized in releases. Some of the largest hits use samples of previous songs, even paying royalties or crediting the original artists in liner notes.

Plagiarism, on the contrary, is using another person’s work or ideas and presenting them as one’s own without permission or accreditation. In extreme plagiarism, legal action may be taken against the individual. Although sampling is generally acceptable legally as long as credits are given, plagiarism is immoral and can ruin an artist’s reputation. As music critics say, while genres are subject to change, inspiration and influence are inevitable, but the margin between homage and theft is slim.

A Case of Inspiration or Plagiarism?

In the instance of Like Jennie and Rani’s Intro Theme, the rhythmic similarity can be coincidental or an instance of common musical ideas and not necessarily plagiarism. Since Pritam himself has explained, minor similarities are unavoidable in music. Unless there is an official complaint by Jennie’s team or Pritam or a statement of copyright infringement, the controversy is hypothetical. The controversy also raises the issue of how people perceive similarities in music and if legal recourse must be the first option to perceived copying.

The History of Plagiarism in the Music Industry

Nearly every musician has been accused of plagiarism at some time in their professional lives. From Coldplay to The Beatles, some of the most recognized artists in the world have found themselves fighting in court or settling out of court for accusations of copyright infringement. The fuzzy lines between inspiration and copying have created some of the biggest-profile cases in music history.

A case in point is singer Lana Del Rey, who was sued by Radiohead for copying Creep in her song Get Free. Ironically, Radiohead themselves had been accused of copying Creep from The Air That I Breathe by The Hollies in 1992. Radiohead were therefore forced to give co-writing credits to The Hollies before suing Lana Del Rey. Such controversies have also occurred in Bollywood, with allegations of melody borrowing from Western songs, further complicating the issue of originality in a globalized music world.

What is Music Plagiarism?

According to the Copyright Law of 1976, as soon as a person composes a song, copyright is automatically on it. Although registration with the copyright office is recommended, it is not mandatory. Chord progression, lyrics, melody, and rhythm—anything that has a glimmer of creativity can be termed as “owned” by the owner and copyrighted. Excluded from these are songs that were published in the public domain prior to 1923, which fall outside the ambit of copyright laws.

Establishing Copyright Infringement

If a composer feels that their song has been violated, they have to establish two essential factors in court:

1. Access: The plaintiff has to prove that the defendant had access to the original song prior to composing their own.
2. Substantial Similarity: The two tunes should have similarities that can be identified by a layperson. Experts (musicologists) are usually brought in in such an instance to compare and contrast pieces.

Defense Strategies against Plagiarism Allegations

Defendants accused of plagiarism can plead that:

• The plaintiff doesn’t own the song.
• The allegedly copied sections are generic and common to the genre.
• The claim of infringement is outside the three-year statute of limitation.
• The use of the song is parody under fair use.
• They are temporary and accidental.

Conclusion

The Like Jennie controversy is a powerful reminder that in today’s global music industry, the boundaries between influence, inspiration, and plagiarism remain razor-thin.

As music becomes increasingly cross-cultural, it is crucial to have better legal understanding and stronger cross-border copyright respect — especially between major industries like Bollywood and K-pop.

Ultimately, with clearer standards and mutual respect for creativity, the music world can continue to innovate while honoring the originality of artists worldwide.