Delhi HC stays interim injunction against PS-2 song ‘Veera Raja Veera' use by AR Rahman

Indian Express

06-05-2025

The Delhi High Court Tuesday stayed an interim injunction against music director A R Rahman and two production companies, under which Rahman and Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions were directed to credit celebrated Dhrupad exponents, the late Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin and Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar, in a song in Ponniyin Selvan-2 (PS-2).
An appeal was filed by Rahman against a single judge's order on April 25, and was taken up by the division bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul.
The single judge order had held that Rahman's popular composition Veera Raja Veera from the film PS-2 was musically 'identical' to Shiva Stuti, a devotional piece composed and performed by Junior Dagar Brothers.
The court's ruling had come in a suit filed by Junior Dagar Brothers' heir, Padma Shri awardee Dhrupad vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, alleging Rahman and others of copyright infringement.
On Tuesday, while staying the interim injunction order, the High Court, however, directed Rahman and the producers to deposit Rs 2 crore as was directed by the single judge.
The division bench's stay on the interim injunction implies that Rahman does not have to pay damages of Rs 2 lakh as was directed on April 25, as of now, and he also does not have to give credits to Junior Dagar brothers for every play-out of the song, as was also directed.
The division bench recorded in its order, 'As the subject matter of the copyright in which the injunction has been granted has been in public domain since 2023, without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both sides and without intending the order to be any expression on cases of the parties before us, we stay the operation of the injunction granted by Ld. Single Judge till the next date of hearing,' the Court ordered.