Singer-composer Anu Malik is being called out on Twitter for plagiarising Israel's national anthem titled Hatikvah for his song Mera Mulk Mera Desh from Ajay Devgn's 1996 film Diljale. The 60-year-old music director is being trolled on Twitter for "copying" the exact same tune of Israel's national anthem that was played at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics on Sunday after Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat won Israel's second gold medal in the Olympics. The clip of Israel's national anthem at the Tokyo Olympics went viral instantly as many viewers brought the matter to the Internet's attention that Anu Malik, who has been trolled for plagiarising music in the past, has once again repeated history by "stealing" Israel's national anthem. Hatikvah, which was composed in the 19th century, was adopted as the national anthem of Israel in 1948.
"So, Anu Malik didn't spare even Israeli national anthem while copying tune for Diljale's Mera Mulk Mera Desh in 1996. Thanks to the internet we now know this," tweeted a user while another wrote: "The National anthem tune has some familiarity to the Indian song... Mera Mulk Mera Desh? Or is it just me?"
One Twitter user wrote: "Anu Malik copying the national anthem of a country to make a Bollywood song is so Anu Malik!"
And here are some more tweets that sump up the general sentiment on Twitter about Anu Malik and his 1996 song Mera Mulk Mera Desh:
In the past also, Anu Malik has been composed music in Bollywood for over 40 years now, has been accused of copying other musicians' work. The singer, who has won the National Award for Best Music Direction for the 2000 film Refugee, has been called out for copying the music of Wham!'s song Last Christmas for his 1995 track Dil Mera Churaya Kyun, the tune of Linear's Sending All My Love for Neend Churayi Meri from Ishq and the music of Toto Cutugno's L'Italiano for the song Nasha Ye Pyar Ka Nasha.
Anu Malik has won several awards for composing songs for films like Ajnabee, Asoka, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Tango Charlie and Main Khiladi Tu Anari, among many others.