File image of music composer A.R. Rahman
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (September 24, 2025) put aside an order towards music composer A.R. Rahman over an alleged copyright infringement case associated to the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’ featured in the 2023 movie Ponniyin Selvan 2.
A bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla handed the order on an enchantment moved by Rahman towards a single choose Bench order of April 25 this yr.
It was, nonetheless, clarified by the courtroom that the side of infringement was not thought of. More particulars of the judgment are awaited.
The single choose Bench’s order got here on a lawsuit by classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who accused Rahman and the movie’s manufacturing homes — Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions — of unauthorised use of a classical composition titled ‘Shiva Stuti’, initially composed by the Junior Dagar Brothers, Late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar.
The Bench had held that the ‘Veera Raja Veera’ song is “not merely based on or inspired by the suit composition Shiva Stuti but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with mere change in lyrics”.
According to Dagar, the ‘Shiva Stuti’ composition was created by his father and uncle, also referred to as the Junior Dagar Brothers someday in Seventies.
He claimed that following his father and uncle’s demise in 1989 and 1994 respectively, the copyright handed to him via an oral household settlement among the many authorized heirs.
Dagar had claimed that the composition was shared with Rahman with out his data or authorisation and was subsequently used in the movie’s soundtrack with out applicable credit score.
Published – September 24, 2025 12:28 pm IST
