NEW DELHI: Delhi HC issued an interim order Friday directing Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman and a production house to deposit Rs 2 crore after it found that a song in a Tamil movie was "not just inspired but is identical" to Shiva Stuti - a landmark rendition composed by renowned classical singers, Junior Dagar brothers.
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Justice Prathiba M Singh directed Rahman and Madras Talkies to add credits for the late Dagar brothers in song Veera Raja Veera in movie Ponniyin Selvan 2 on online platforms and pay his kin Rs 2 lakh as costs.
The order came on a suit by Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, whose father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar, and uncle N Zahiruddin Dagar were the song's original composers. Faiyaz alleged copyright infringement by Rahman and the production house.
"This court holds that the impugned song is not merely based on or inspired by the suit composition - Shiva Stuti - but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with mere change in lyrics. The adding of other elements may have rendered impugned song more like a modern composition, but the basic underlying musical work is identical," Justice Singh said.