In a significant development, the Delhi High Court on 6 May 2025 stayed an interim injunction issued against renowned music composer AR Rahman in a copyright infringement case linked to the popular song Veera Raja Veera from the 2023 Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan 2 (PS2).
The legal battle was initiated by Indian classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who alleged that the composition of Veera Raja Veera was lifted from Shiva Stuti, a musical piece composed by his father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Zahiruddin Dagar.
On 25 April 2025, a single-judge Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh had ruled in Dagar’s favour, directing Rahman and the film’s producers to give credit to the Dagar brothers across all digital platforms. The order also imposed ₹2 lakh in costs and directed the appellants to deposit ₹2 crore as security. Rahman appealed against the decision.
The Division Bench comprising Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul on Tuesday granted interim relief to Rahman, staying the injunction until the next date of hearing, 23 May 2025.
“As the subject matter of the copyright in which the injunction has been granted has been in public domain since 2023, without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both sides and without intending the order to be any expression on cases of the parties before us, we stay the operation of the injunction granted by Ld. Single Judge till the next date of hearing,” the Court stated.
The Bench also stayed the ₹2 lakh cost imposed on Rahman and the producers but maintained the direction to deposit ₹2 crore, clarifying that this did not reflect any opinion on the merits of the case.
Dagar had argued that while the lyrics of Veera Raja Veera differ from Shiva Stuti, the “taal, beat and musical structure are identical” to the original composition, which has been performed globally by the Junior Dagar brothers and featured in PAN Records albums.
Rahman, however, strongly refuted the allegations. He maintained that Shiva Stuti is a traditional Dhrupad composition and thus part of the public domain. His legal team further contended that Veera Raja Veera is an original composition rooted in Western musical principles, comprising “227 distinct layers” and diverging significantly from the conventions of Hindustani classical music.
In the initial ruling, Justice Singh had remarked, “In this case, the core of the impugned song Veera Raja Veera is not just inspired but is in fact identical in Swaras (notes), Bhava (emotion) and Aural impact (impact on the ear) of the suit composition Shiva Stuti, from the point of view of a lay listener. Hence the Defendant’s composition infringes the Plaintiff’s rights in Shiva Stuti.”
The outcome of Rahman’s appeal is now awaited, with the matter scheduled for detailed hearing on 23 May 2025.
(With inputs from Bar and Bench)
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