A little surprise with this matter.
Mani Ratnam’s celebrated historical drama franchise, Ponniyin Selvan, has recently come under legal scrutiny after the Delhi High Court delivered its verdict in a copyright infringement case involving the film's music.
Renowned composer A.R. Rahman, along with the film’s production team, has been ordered to pay a penalty of Rs. 2 crores over allegations related to the track Veera Raja Veera. The song, featuring actors Ravi Mohan and Sobhita Dhulipala, was alleged to have been directly lifted from the original composition Shiva Stuti.
The case was brought forward by Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who claimed that Shiva Stuti was originally composed by his father and uncle. According to Dagar, Veera Raja Veera mirrored the original’s rhythm, musical structure, and beats, with only minimal alterations.
In its ruling, the Delhi High Court imposed the Rs. 2 crore penalty but also directed the makers to pay an additional Rs. 2 lakhs in costs to the Dagar family. Furthermore, the court ordered the production house to immediately update the song credits across all platforms to acknowledge Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar as the original composers of Shiva Stuti.
As of now, no official statement has been released by either the film’s makers or A.R. Rahman regarding the court’s decision.
Separately, A.R. Rahman recently addressed public scrutiny surrounding his personal life. Speaking with Nayandeep Rakshit on his YouTube channel, the Academy Award-winning composer reflected on the nature of fame and public opinion, following news of his separation from his wife, Saira Banu. Rahman stated, “The choice of being in public life is intentional, so everybody gets reviewed. Right from the richest person to even God gets reviewed, so who am I?”
Source / Image Credit : Firstpost , ThePrint