Bhubaneswar, July 11: The Rangabati version of Sona Mohapatra with interludes of Bande Utkala Janini by popular singer Rituraj Mohanty on MTV Coke Studio has attracted criticism from various quarters.

The makers of Rangabati, members of the Odia music fraternity, politicians and many listeners have taken a dig at the song being different from the original version and cited plenty of other "should not haves".

But, the singers of the composition that was trending on Facebook and has received over 10 lakh hits on Youtube in less than a week, have a different stand.

Sona, also the executive producer of Coke Studio, said the show was a rare and important platform of cross-cultural exchange in India, and she had no regrets performing the song.

"I'm happy to be part of the idea of reinventing the image of Odisha in the mainstream and globally and have no regrets having performed Rangabati. We are grateful for the immense love that we are receiving from the youth in Odisha and from across the nation for our reinvention of the folk classic. There is a small section that has taken umbrage to us presenting an old folk classic in a modern format, and unfortunately, such factions get more attention as compared to the positive majority. I would rather celebrate the love," said Sona.

The artiste said that there was no intention to harm any sentiments from their end through the performance.

"In fact, quite the opposite. But, such things are part of life when you are in the spotlight. This is my 10th year as a professional music artiste, and I wanted to pay an ode to my roots and my state by presenting this song on such a special platform. Our intentions were honourable and my conscience is clear," said Mumbai-based Sona, who hails from Odisha.

She also said the team had concrete proof that the song was a folk song and, therefore, in the public domain, open to re-interpretation by artistes.

"That's the reason you find thousands of Rangabati versions online - even Telugu versions and some with tacky beats by many other singers and music directors. How come no one has objected to those? How come my live performance on a local channel singing the same song telecast on their New Year's Eve programme went un-noticed despite the whole state seeing it four years ago?" she said.

She said Ram Sampath's version on his episode Bhoomi on the show has connected Rangabati across the globe all over again. People have written in, loving the song without even understanding it, said Sona. "As a build up to the video release, I had shared many articles about folk artistes, music and textiles of Sambalpur. In fact, the same trended on Twitter much before this negative backlashSona has said that the team would work extra hard on the pronunciations in case she sings these songs. "The intention of presenting this was from a place of love, never meant to hurt anyone and if it has caused a debate, let it at least be a healthy one. I've never wanted to play it safe as an artiste. I never wanted to be a parrot, learn up a song and record it in a studio and run after commercial success. I've always wanted to make a cultural impact. Art and music should trigger conversations, it's the only way for any culture to be vital, alive and kicking and I'm happy that people in Odisha are talking about it to start with," she said.

<>Rituraj, who jammed to the patriotic song Bande Utkala Janani, along with Sona, said the primary aim behind the show was "celebrating their Odia roots". "I have grown up listening to the song and through the show, we wanted to pay a tribute to our land. I felt presenting the song on a platform as big as the Coke Studio would give it a national stature and that was what mattered the most," said Rituraj, who shot to fame after winning the reality show India's Raw Star.

He said his respect for the original makers lies intact but it was also important to understand that the show was done in a good spirit. "We did not want to undermine anyone. It is unfortunate that a controversy started. Many people have earlier attempted to sing the song in various ways and we did the same," said Rituraj.

"In Bollywood many classics are used in new songs, but that does not demean the worth of a classic," he said.