A.R. Rahman gets relief as Delhi HC set aside ‘Veera Raja Veera’ copyright from Ponniyin Selvan 2

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (September 24, 2025) set aside an order against music composer A.R. Rahman over an alleged copyright infringement case related to the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’ featured in the 2023 film Ponniyin Selvan 2.

A bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla passed the order on an appeal moved by Rahman against a single judge Bench order of April 25 this year.

It was, however, clarified by the court that the aspect of infringement was not considered. More details of the judgment are awaited.

The single judge Bench’s order came on a lawsuit by classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who accused Rahman and the film’s production houses — Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions — of unauthorised use of a classical composition titled ‘Shiva Stuti’, originally composed by the Junior Dagar Brothers, Late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar.

The Bench had held that the ‘Veera Raja Veera’ 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”.

According to Dagar, the ‘Shiva Stuti’ composition was created by his father and uncle, also known as the Junior Dagar Brothers sometime in 1970s.

He claimed that following his father and uncle’s demise in 1989 and 1994 respectively, the copyright passed to him through an oral family settlement among the legal heirs.

Dagar had claimed that the composition was shared with Rahman without his knowledge or authorisation and was subsequently used in the film’s soundtrack without appropriate credit.