Pritam admits he lifted songs.

There was a time a few years back, when you were virtually branded a lifter. Did that affect you? In the beginning, I was immature and was not being advised correctly. I was listening to briefs blindly and did not have time to think. If a director would give me a tune, I would adapt it. I am a big RD Burman fan and used to feel that it is normal for all big directors to copy. Nobody was there to advise me about the changing world. I thought it was normal and everybody did it. I was also amongst the first to give credits and recreate songs, for instanceBheegi Bheegi was an adaptation of a Bengali folk song. The problem is you can't give credits without buying rights. Sometimes, the producer would promise that he would buy the rights and it had not been done. I regret it big time. That is something that does not allow me to enjoy my success today. It's like a ghost that is following you. At one time, I thought I will quit as anything I would do would be branded and there would always be this doubt whether it was copied even though it was original. After 2008, I consciously decided to not do it and, from then on, I have never done it. Professionally, I always felt low as I was not getting due respect, even though I was working so hard.