On Friday, an interim order was passed by the Delhi High Court in the copyright infringement suit filed over the composition of the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’, from Ponniyin Selvan 2. The order has come as a setback for the song’s composer, AR Rahman, and the production company of the film, Madras Talkies.
A copyright infringement case was filed by Indian classical singer and Padma Shri awardee Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar in 2023, alleging that ‘Veera Raja Veera's' composition was lifted off from the ‘Shiva Stuti’ song composed by his father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Zahiruddin Dagar. He requested for the defendants, Rahman and Madras Talkies, to be ordered a permanent injunction restraining them from using the song, while also seeking damages from them and an acknowledgement of moral rights.
On Faiyaz’s interim application, a verdict was pronounced on Friday by Justice Prathiba M Singh, in which she ruled that ‘Veera Raja Veera’ is an identical song to ‘Shiva Stuti’ and not just merely based on or inspired by the song. The court therefore asked the composer and the production banner to deposit Rs 2 crore with the registry during the pendency of the suit.
Further, Rahman and Madras Talkies were also directed to credit the Junior Dagar brothers for the song composition by adding it to the film on streaming platforms. The defendants were also fined ₹2 lakh.
A plagiarism dispute arose over AR Rahman's ‘Veera Raja Veera’, with Faiyaz alleging similarities to the Junior Dagar Brothers' ‘Shiva Stuti’. Rahman countered that ‘Shiva Stuti’ is a traditional Dhrupad composition in the public domain, while ‘Veera Raja Veera’ is an original work blending Western musical elements with 227 distinct layers.
Helmed by Mani Ratnam, Ponniyin Selvan 2 is the second part of the director's two-part film. It is based on the 1954 novel Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy. AR Rahman composed seven songs for the Ponniyin Selvan 2 album. The film featured an ensemble cast, featuring Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Ravi Mohan, Trisha, Jayaram, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobitha Dhulipala, Sarath Kumar, and more.