Delhi HC stays interim order against A.R. Rahman in song copyright case

The Hindu

06-05-2025

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (May 6, 2025) stayed an interim order against music composer A.R. Rahman and the makers of the film Ponniyin Selvan 2 over an alleged copyright infringement case related to the song 'Veera Raja Veera' featured in the 2023 film.
A Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Ajay Digpaul, however, directed Mr. Rahman and the makers of the film to deposit within 10 days ₹2 crore with its registry, as directed by the Single Judge Bench April 25 order.
The court posted Mr. Rahman's stay application and the appeal challenging the single judge's order on May 23.
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The Single Judge Bench's order came on a lawsuit by classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who accused Mr. Rahman and the film's production houses - Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions - of unauthorised use of a classical composition titled 'Shiva Stuti', originally composed by the Junior Dagar Brothers, Late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar.
Justice Prathiba M. Singh had held that the 'Veera Raja Veera' song is 'not merely based on or inspired from the suit composition - Shiva Stuti but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with mere change in lyrics'. Additionally, Justice Singh had awarded ₹2 lakh as costs to Mr. Dagar, to be paid by Mr. Rahman and other defendants within four weeks.
Created in 1970s
According to Mr. Dagar, the 'Shiva Stuti' composition was created by his father and uncle, also known as the Junior Dagar Brothers, sometime in the 1970s. He claimed that following his father and uncle's demise in 1989 and 1994, respectively, the copyright passed to him through an oral family settlement among the legal heirs.
Mr. Dagar had claimed that the composition was shared with Mr. Rahman without his knowledge or authorisation and was subsequently used in the film's soundtrack without appropriate credit.