AR Rahman Gets Temporary Relief From Delhi HC In Ponniyin Selvan 2 Shiva Stuti Copyright Infringement Case

Music

composer AR Rahman has got legal relief from Delhi High Court on Wednesday after it revoked the interim injunction against him in the copyright dispute over Veera Raja Veera song from Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan 2. Noted Classical singer Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar had filed the case stating that the song borrowed from his family’s legendary Shiva Stuti composition.

AR Rahman Gets Legal Relief From Delhi HC Over Ponniyin Selvan Shiva Stuti Copyright Infringement Case

A division bench of Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla allowed AR Rahman’s appeal, overturning a single-judge order. The court stated that this ruling does not address whether copyright infringement occurred. The verdict is yet to be released.

Previously, in April, the single court had ruled that Veera Raja Veera was identical to the Shiva Stuti with modifications. The order had also asked for credits to Dagar’s father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Ustad N Zahiruddin Dagar, along with a Rs. 2 crore deposit and Rs. 2 lakh legal costs.

About Ponniyin Selvan 2 Shiva Stuti Copyright Infringement Case

Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, a Padma Shri awardee, filed the legal suit claiming that AR Rahman’s Veera Raja Veera was heavily inspired by Shiva Stuti, a composition by his father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Zahiruddin Dagar. According to the lawsuit, despite having different lyrics, the song’s melody, rhythm, and beat was closely similar the original Shiva Stuti, and the Dagar family’s contribution was not acknowledged.

Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar claimed that the Shiva Stuti composition, in the 1970s, had been performed internationally, including at Amsterdam’s Royal Tropical Institute in 1978. He stated that AR Rahman’s song was similar to the rhythm and beat of the original, even though the lyrics was different. He also said that he held full rights to his family’s compositions through agreements with all legal heirs.Both parties are currently awaiting the court’s order, which will decide the final outcome of the Shiva Stuti Copyright Infringement case.