Supreme Court Delivers Setback to A.R. Rahman in 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' Music Plagiarism Case

New Delhi. The Indian Supreme Court has delivered a major setback to renowned musician A.R. Rahman in a case concerning the alleged plagiarism of music for the song in the film 'Ponniyin Selvan 2'. The court upheld the decision of the Delhi High Court single bench, ruling that the song 'Veera Raja Veera' from the film was copied from the 'Shiv Stuti' by the Thakar brothers.

Classical singer Faiyaz Wassifuddin Thakar had filed a lawsuit in 2023, alleging that the music for 'Shiv Stuti', created by his father and uncle, was used without permission in the Mani Ratnam-directed film. He demanded that A.R. Rahman and the production team provide him with due credit and compensation. However,

Rahman's lawyer argued that this music belongs to the traditional Dhrupad style and no one holds exclusive rights over it. The single bench of the Delhi High Court had previously ordered Rahman to deposit Rs 2 crore as security and pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh immediately after the lawsuit, ruling that Rahman's music had violated the petitioner's rights.

Furthermore, it was directed that the 'credit slide' for the song on all OTT platforms be changed to mention the names of the Thakar brothers. Although the Division Bench of the High Court had overturned this decision, the Supreme Court has once again ruled in favor of the single bench.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi of the Supreme Court commented that it is natural for creators of classical music to expect respect and recognition. The court ordered Rahman to deposit Rs 2 crore in court and granted him time until February 20 for a further response.