AR Rahman in legal trouble over copyright infringement allegations: What is ‘Veera Raja Veera’ controversy?

AR Rahman has run into legal trouble because of his composition of ‘Veera Raja Veera’ for the 2023 Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan 2 (PS2), which stars Aishwarya Rai.

According to a Bar and Bench report, Indian classical singer Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar moved court in 2023 against the Oscar-winning composer and the production company Madras Talkies.

What is the ‘Veera Raja Veera’ controversy?

Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, a Padma Shri awardee, alleged that the composition of ‘Veera Raja Veera’ was copied from Shiva Stuti, a song composed by his father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Zahiruddin Dagar.

Faiyaz alleged that although Veera Raja Veera contains different lyrics, “its taal, beat, and musical structure are identical” to Shiv Stuti.

He said the Shiv Stuti was performed globally by the Junior Dagar Brothers and has been included in albums released by PAN Records.

Through his appeal in court, Faiyaz sought a permanent injunction restraining the defendants, including Rahman and Madras Talkies, from using the song, damages, and the acknowledgement of moral rights.

What did AR Rahman say about it?

AR Rahman denied Faiyaz Dagar's allegations and said that Shiv Stuti is a traditional composition within the Dhrupad genre, which is in the public domain.

Through his lawyers, he argued that the Veera Raja Veera song is an original work composed using Western musical fundamentals with 227 distinct layers, which is “far beyond the conventions of Hindustani classical music”.

Here's what the Delhi High Court said:

The Delhi High Court on Friday said the song 'Veera Raja Veera' is not merely based on or inspired by Shiva Stuti's composition but is, in fact, identical to it with certain changes.

Justice Prathiba M Singh ordered Rahman and Madras Talkies to deposit ₹2 crore with the Registry during the pendency of the suit.

The Court also observed that Rahman and Madras Talkies had not initially credited the Junior Dagar brothers for the song composition and, therefore, ordered the movie producer to add these credits to the movie on online platforms.

The defendants have also been charged ₹2 lakh, which they must pay to the Dagars.