Acclaimed music composer AR Rahman, along with Madras Talkies and LYCA Production has been directed by the Delhi High Court to deposit Rs 2 crores in a copyright infringement case concerning the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’, from the 2023 film Ponniyin Selvan: II (PS2).
The interim order was issued following a lawsuit filed by Padma Shri Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, a renowned Dhrupad vocalist, who alleged that the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’ is a copied composition of the song ‘Shiva Stuti’, a classical devotional music originally performed by his father and uncle, the Junior Dagar Brothers, Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar.
Justice Prathiba M.Singh, who is presiding over the case, ruled that two compositions were not just similar but musically ‘identical’. The court has instructed AR Rahman and the production companies to deposit Rs 2 Crore with the court registry, with Rs 2 lakhs to the plaintiff and a credit to the Junior Dagar Brothers as the original composers of the music work on all platforms where the film is available.
The court noted that ‘Shiva Stuti’ was a significant part of the Dagar Brothers musical and had been performed globally as it was recorded in 1978 in Amsterdam and later released by PAN Records. The composition rights were inherited by Wasifuddin Dagar, who has continued to perform and teach the piece.
Dispute Over Copyright and Originality
In response to the lawsuit, AR Rahman and Madras Talkies argued that ‘Shiva Stuti’ is a traditional Dhrupad piece composed in the 13th century by Narayanan Panditacharya, and therefore it is in the public domain. They also claimed that ‘Veera Raja Veera’ is an original arrangement with over 200 music layers, that blends traditional and modern elements.
However, the court’s interim ruling sided with the plaintiff’s claim that the version used in PS2 was based directly on the Dagar Brothers, not just inspired by a traditional source.
Ponniyin Selvan is a film directed by Mani Ratnam and is based on the iconic history novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy. The film features Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha Krishnan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Shobitha Dhulipala and many others. The music was composed by AR Rahman and the soundtrack of the film, particularly ‘Veera Raja Veera’, gained widespread acclaim by the audience.
Sources: Cinema Express, The Indian Express
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