Premji Clears the Air: ‘Good Bad Ugly’ Was for Ajith, Not Ilayaraja

Actor and composer Premji has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the blockbuster film Good Bad Ugly, asserting that the film’s success was driven by Ajith Kumar’s star power—not by the use of Ilayaraja’s music.

Directed by Adhik Ravichandran, Good Bad Ugly has been a massive box office hit, raking in over ?200 crore. However, the film has recently come under scrutiny after Ilayaraja’s team issued a legal notice to the producers, alleging unauthorized usage of some of his classic compositions.

Amid the ongoing debate, Ilayaraja’s brother and veteran artist Gangai Amaran voiced his support for the legendary composer. In response, Premji—Gangai Amaran’s son—offered his perspective in a recent interview.

“My father supported his brother, just as I would support my own,” Premji said, referring to his brother and filmmaker Venkat Prabhu. “If my brother faces any issue tomorrow, I’ll stand by him too.”

Addressing the claims that Good Bad Ugly only succeeded because of Ilayaraja’s music, Premji dismissed them outright:

“That’s just nonsense. Everyone knows who that film was made for—it was made for Thala Ajith. A Thala film is made for Thala.”

Premji’s strong statement reinforces the widespread belief that Ajith’s magnetic screen presence was the driving force behind the film’s success, even amid controversies.