The Delhi high court on April 25 issued an interim order directing music director A.R. Rahman and production house Madras Talkies to deposit Rs. 2 crore after it found that a song in Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan 2 was “not just inspired but identical” to Shiva Stuti composed by renowned classical singers Junior Dagar brothers.
Justice Pratibha M. Singh directed the Oscar-winning music maestro and Madras Talkies to not just deposit Rs. 2 crore but also to add credits for the late Dagar brothers in the Veera raja veera song in Ponniyin Selvan 2 on online platforms and pay the family Rs. 2 lakh as costs.
The order was passed in a suit filed by Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, whose father, Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar, and uncle, Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar, were the composers of the original song. Faiyaz alleged copyright infringement by Rahman and Madras Talkies.
The high court said, “This court holds that the impugned song is not merely based on or inspired by the suit composition — Shiva Stuti — but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with merely change in lyrics. The adding of other elements may have rendered the impugned song more like a modern composition, but the basic underlying musical work is identical.” The court also noted that A.R. Rahman, who “has earned global acclaim”, initially did not give any recognition to Dagars’ work. When Faiyaz contacted Rahman, the acknowledgement was given — although reluctantly.