A.R. Rahman Faces Rs2 Crore Copyright Fine

A.R. Rahman Penalty: Singer A.R. Rahman, still grappling with the aftermath of his divorce and online trolling, has now been fined ₹2 crore by the High Court.

A.R. Rahman fined in copyright infringement case: Bollywood music composer A.R. Rahman is once again in the headlines. A.R. Rahman and production company Madras Talkies have been accused of copyright infringement regarding the song 'Veera Raja Veera' from 'Ponniyin Selvan 2'. The Delhi High Court, hearing the case, has imposed a fine of Rs2 crore. The order was issued on a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by classical singer Padma Shri Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar.

Rs2 Crore Fine Imposed on A.R. Rahman

A single bench of Justice Pratibha M. Singh clarified that the song 'Veera Raja Veera' was not merely inspired by, but a direct copy of 'Shiv Stuti', with only minor alterations. The court ordered A.R. Rahman and the film production company Madras Talkies to amend the song's credits and give due credit to the late Ustad Nasir Zakhiruddin Dagar and the late Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar.

A.R. Rahman embroiled in controversy over his Tamil song 'Veera Raja Veera'

The court also ordered the defendants to deposit Rs2 crore with the court registry and pay Rs2 lakh in costs to the plaintiff Dagar. Further, it directed that a new credit slide be added to OTT and online platforms stating that the composition is based on 'Shiv Stuti' by the late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and the late Ustad Zakhiruddin Dagar.

Singer Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar filed the lawsuit

Padma Shri awardee and Indian classical singer Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar approached the court in 2023, alleging that the song was copied from his father's 'Shiv Stuti' two years prior. The court has now delivered its verdict on this matter.