New Delhi, April 25 (H.S.): Renowned music composer A.R. Rahman has faced a setback from the Delhi High Court. The court has imposed an interim fine of 2 crore rupees on A.R. Rahman and the production company Madras Talkies in a copyright infringement case concerning the song Veera Raja Veera from the film Ponniyin Selvan 2, which was released in 2023. This order has been issued by Justice Pratibha Singh’s bench.

The court stated that the melody and rhythm of the song Veera Raja Veera are not only similar to the Shiva hymn but also resemble the hymn with some changes. The court noted that A.R. Rahman and Madras Talkies initially did not credit the Dagar brothers for the song but later included the credit in the online version of the film. The court had issued a notice to A.R. Rahman on October 20, 2023, directing him to present the original recording of the song. After listening to the song, the court remarked that the melody and rhythm of the song certainly appeared to be similar.

Dhrupad musician Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar filed a petition in the High Court accusing A.R. Rahman of copyright infringement for using their music in the song Veera Raja Veera from the film Ponniyin Selvan 2 without giving them credit. The petition stated that the copyright of the music belongs to his father Nasir Fayazuddin Dagar and uncle Zahirooddin Dagar. This type of singing is referred to as Dagar Vani and forms the basis of Dhrupad singing. The petition mentioned that one of the old songs of the petitioner’s father is a Shiva hymn, which was sung in 1970.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar