Delhi HC sets aside copyright order against A.R. Rahman in ‘Veera Raja Veera’ song case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday set aside its April order against Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman in a copyright infringement case concerning the song Veera Raja Veera from the 2023 film Ponniyin Selvan-2.

The April 25, 2025, order had directed Rahman and the film’s co-producers — Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions — to deposit ₹2 crore with the court registry, change credits on digital platforms, and pay costs to classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar.

Central to the case was whether the late Junior Dagar Brothers — Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar — could be considered the exclusive authors of Shiva Stuti, a Dhrupad composition.

A Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla observed that the claim of exclusive authorship over the composition Shiva Stuti, alleged to have been copied in Veera Raja Veera, could not be sustained.

“As the claim of authorship is rejected, there is no requirement to go into the other aspect of originality or infringement,” the court said. In the 93-page verdict, the court underscored the complexity of applying copyright law to classical music traditions.

“The facts and circumstances of the present case, brings into fore the intricate task of applying modern copyright principles rooted in individualisation to traditional heritage art forms that have evolved collectively over centuries, for which the privilege of copyright protection, may not be available,” the court observed.

The court also noted that several branches of the Dagar family, including the Gundecha Brothers and their disciples, had publicly performed identical compositions without exclusive attribution.

The court said allowing monopolisation of such composition “would adversely affect how young musicians learn the Indian Classical Music and share composition while training”.

The court’s ruling, which came on an appeal filed by Rahman, set aside the April order findings of infringement and financial liability against him.