New Delhi: In a significant development in a high-profile copyright dispute, the Delhi High Court on Friday issued an interim order against acclaimed composer AR Rahman and production house Madras Talkies, following allegations of copyright infringement concerning the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’ from the 2023 Tamil blockbuster Ponniyin Selvan 2.
The lawsuit was filed in 2023 by renowned Indian classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who claimed that the popular cinematic track had copied ‘Shiva Stuti’, a revered classical composition originally performed by his father Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar, known together as the Junior Dagar Brothers. In his legal plea, Dagar sought a permanent injunction to prevent further use of the song, financial compensation, and due credit to uphold the moral rights of his family’s artistic legacy.
Delivering the interim ruling, Justice Prathiba M. Singh stated that ‘Veera Raja Veera’ was “not merely based on or inspired from” the original ‘Shiva Stuti’, but rather “identical to it with certain changes”. The court found the resemblance substantial enough to warrant immediate legal intervention.
As part of the interim measures, the court ordered Rahman and Madras Talkies to deposit ₹2 crore with the Court Registry while proceedings are ongoing. Additionally, a cost of ₹2 lakh was imposed on the defendants for legal expenses.
The court further noted that the Dagar Brothers were not initially credited in the film for their composition. Addressing this omission, Justice Singh directed that the credit slides across OTT and online platforms featuring the song must be revised to read:
“Composition based on Shiva Stuti by Late Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar”.
Rahman and Madras Talkies, for their part, denied any wrongdoing. They argued that ‘Shiva Stuti’ originates from the Dhrupad tradition of Hindustani classical music and is thus part of the public domain, making it free for reinterpretation and adaptation.
The matter remains sub judice, and the final decision will depend on further examination of both the legal and musicological aspects of the case.
