Court Orders A.R. Rahman to Pay Rs 2 Crore in Copyright Case

The Delhi High Court has ordered music composer A.R. Rahman to pay ?2 crore in a copyright case related to the song “Veera Raja Veera” from the film “Ponniyin Selvan 2.” In 2023, Padma Shri award-winning Indian classical singer Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar filed a petition claiming that the song copied elements from “Shiv Stuti,” a composition created by his father, Naseer Faiyazuddin Dagar, and uncle, Zahiruddin Dagar.

Dagar alleged that the song, composed by Rahman and featured in director Mani Ratnam’s movie, was directly inspired by their traditional piece. He had requested the court to restrain Rahman and Madras Talkies from using the song and to compensate him for the unauthorized use.

After reviewing the case for nearly two years, Justice Prathiba Singh ruled that “Veera Raja Veera” was indeed derived from or based upon “Shiv Stuti,” albeit with some modifications. Therefore, the court instructed Rahman to deposit ?2 crore with the court registry and pay an additional ?2 lakh to the petitioner.

Rahman’s legal team denied the infringement, arguing that “Shiv Stuti” falls under the traditional Dhrupad genre and is not protected under modern copyright laws. They further claimed that “Veera Raja Veera” is an original composition with 227 unique layers inspired by Western music traditions, setting it apart from conventional Hindustani classical forms.