Delhi High Court Clears A R Rahman in 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' Copyright Case

The Delhi High Court overturned an order demanding A R Rahman to deposit Rs 2 crore in a copyright suit. The court found the claim that Rahman's song copied the Dagar brothers' work to be incorrect. A slide crediting the composers will be added to the film on all online platforms.

In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has provided relief to music director A R Rahman amidst a copyright suit involving the film 'Ponniyin Selvan 2'. On Wednesday, the court dismissed an earlier order requiring Rahman and the film's producers to deposit Rs 2 crore in a case concerning the classical composition 'Shiv Stuti' by the Junior Dagar brothers.

The bench, consisting of Justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla, found that the single judge had erred fundamentally in her judgment, leading to the annulment of the ruling. This comes after Justice Prathiba M Singh's April 25 order claimed Rahman's composition 'Veera Raja Veera' was identical to the 'Shiva Stuti' in its essence, putting it in violation of original composers' rights.

The court also mandated the inclusion of a credit slide for the Junior Dagar brothers on all OTT and online platforms, besides awarding Rs 2 lakh in costs to the family members of the late artists. Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, a family member, argued that the original compositions, including 'Shiv Stuti', held copyright protection, a claim countered by Rahman's counsel on the grounds of the composition's public domain status.

(With inputs from agencies.)