Delhi HC orders AR Rahman to deposit Rs 2 cr in copyright infringement

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed renowned musician AR Rahman and production company Madras Talkies to deposit Rs 2 crore with the court registry in a copyright infringement case involving the song 'Veera Raja Veera' from the film 'Ponniyin Selvan 2'. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on them. The case arose after Indian classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar filed a petition, claiming that Veera Raja Veera was copied from his father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and his uncle Zahiruddin Dagar's song 'Shiva Stuti'. The Dagar brothers were collectively known as the Junior Dagar Brothers.

In his petition, Dagar sought a permanent injunction to prevent Rahman and Madras Talkies from using the song. He also sought damages and the acknowledgment of moral rights for the original composition. During the hearing, Justice Prathiba M. Singh observed that Veera Raja Veera was not just inspired by Shiva Stuti but was identical to it, with only minor modifications.

Consequently, the court directed Rahman and Madras Talkies to deposit Rs 2 crore while the case was ongoing. Dagar's petition argued that the taal, beat, and musical structure of Veera Raja Veera mirrored that of Shiva Stuti, even though the lyrics were different.

In response, Rahman contended that Shiva Stuti was a traditional composition in the Dhrupad genre of Hindustani classical music and was part of the public domain. He argued that Veera Raja Veera was an original piece composed using Western musical principles, incorporating 227 distinct layers.