New Delhi: The Division Bench of the Delhi High Court on Wednesday set aside an interim injunction that had been issued against music composer AR Rahman in a copyright dispute over the song Veera Raja Veera from Mani Ratnam’s 2023 film Ponniyin Selvan II. The Bench, comprising Justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla, passed the order while hearing Rahman’s appeal against a single-judge ruling.
Division Bench allows Rahman’s appeal
The court observed, “We have allowed the appeal. We have authored concurrent opinions. We have set aside the impugned order by the single-judge on principle.” However, the Division Bench clarified that it had not examined the merits of the alleged copyright infringement at this stage.
The interim injunction had earlier been granted by Justice Prathiba M Singh on a suit filed by classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar.
Allegations of copyright infringement
Dagar alleged that Rahman’s Veera Raja Veera was copied from Shiva Stuti, a classical composition created by his father, Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar, and uncle, Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar — collectively known as the Junior Dagar Brothers. Justice Singh, in her order, had remarked that the two works were “not merely based on or inspired by Shiva Stuti but identical… with mere change in lyrics.”
Dagar contended that he holds the copyright for all compositions of his father and uncle, who were renowned exponents of the Dhrupad tradition of the Dagar Gharana. He traced Shiva Stuti to the 1970s, noting its international performances, including at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam in 1978, and its inclusion in the album Shiva Mahadeva.
In his lawsuit, Dagar sought credit for the composition across platforms and an injunction against the use of the song by Rahman, Madras Talkies, Lyca Productions, and Tips Industries. He also stated that Rahman had once assured him over a phone call that he would attempt to resolve the issue, but no follow-up occurred.
Defendants reject claims
The defendants rejected the allegations. Madras Talkies described the claims as “misconceived,” arguing that Veera Raja Veera was based on a traditional song and accused Dagar of seeking publicity and financial gain.
Tips Industries, meanwhile, argued that copyright cannot be claimed over the “manner of singing” or style of rendition, emphasising that Rahman’s song was an original work.
Conclusion
With the interim injunction set aside, AR Rahman and the producers of Ponniyin Selvan II are free to continue the distribution and use of the song Veera Raja Veera while the larger copyright issues are pending resolution. The substantive question of copyright infringement will be decided in later hearings.