As actor Vanitha Vijaykumar and choreographer Robert's latest outing, Mrs & Mr hits theatres on Friday; the film has landed in legal trouble over the unauthorised usage of a song composed by veteran music composer Ilaiyaraaja.
The 'Siva Rathiri' song from Kamal Haasan's Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990) has reportedly been used without permission in the film. The original song features Kamal Haasan and Rupini in a duet. Ilaiyaraaja's legal team has reportedly filed a case in the Chennai High Court seeking the removal of the song from Mrs & Mr.
A civil case has been filed by Ilaiyaraaja's legal team, alleging that the song he composed was used in Mrs & Mr without his permission and that it has been altered. The composer stated in the petition that this is a copyright infringement and that the song should be immediately removed from the film.
Ilaiyaraaja's lawyer A Saravanan, filed an appeal before Judge Senthil Kumar Ramamoorthy on behalf of the composer, requesting that this case be heard as an urgent matter. As per reports, the judge, who heard the appeal, agreed to take up the case for hearing on Monday.
A romantic adult comedy, Mrs and Mr also stars Shakeela, Aarthi Ganeshkar, Srinivasan, Ambika, Sriman, and Ganeshkar. The film is produced by Vanitha's daughter, Jovika Vijayakumar. With cinematography by D G Kapil, editing by Bala Guru, and music by Srikanth Deva, the film is also helmed by Vanitha Vijaykumar. The film hits theatres alongside Oho Enthan Baby and Desingu Raja 2.
This legal suit comes amidst Ilaiyaraaja's constant legal battles with films and their production houses for the unauthorised use of many of his compositions. The composer's legal team has previously sent legal notices to the makers of Good Bad Ugly, Coolie, Manjummel Boys, and more for the usage of his yesteryear songs without seeking permission.