The Delhi High Court has issued an interim order directing Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman and production house Madras Talkies to submit the raw recording of the song Veera Raja Veera and deposit ₹2 crore with the court. The directive follows a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Dhrupad maestro and Padma Shri Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar.
The dispute concerns the song featured in Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023), produced by Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, which Dagar alleges was copied from Shiva Stuti — a traditional composition by his father, Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar, and uncle, Zahiruddin Dagar.
Justice Pratibha M. Singh ruled that Veera Raja Veera was not merely inspired by Shiva Stuti but “identical with some changes”, emphasizing the need to verify the originality of the composition. Additionally, the court ordered that credits for the Dagar brothers must be added to the film across online platforms and imposed a ₹2 lakh cost on the defendants.
During the hearing, Justice Singh listened to both compositions and noted strong similarities in their beat and structure. Rahman’s legal team has been asked to respond to the musical notations provided by Dagar. The court also ordered the correction of the misattribution of the musical tradition from “Dargavani” to “Dagarvani” on YouTube within 48 hours.
Dagar accused Rahman of lifting the composition from his family’s legacy, asserting that while the lyrics differed, the rhythm, taal, and structure matched Shiva Stuti. He said the composition had not been copyrighted but had been widely performed internationally.
Rahman and Madras Talkies, however, have denied the allegations, claiming that Veera Raja Veera draws from a 13th-century composition by Narayana Panditacharya and accused Dagar of seeking financial compensation.
