Ilaiyaraaja has secured a significant legal win in his ongoing effort to safeguard his body of work. The Madras High Court has directed the makers of Dude to take out two of his compositions from the film. The tracks in question are Karutha Machan and Nooru Varusham, both of which were incorporated into the movie without seeking a formal nod from the celebrated composer.
When classics collide with copyright concerns
The production house had asked for a short grace period to complete the removal process, but the court declined this request. The bench observed that any usage that affects the integrity and purity of Ilaiyaraaja’s original compositions cannot be permitted. With this observation in place, the judge has instructed the producers to file a detailed response to the petition and has scheduled the next hearing for January 7.
Arguments over ownership and authorisation
Representing Mythri Movie Makers, senior counsel P V Balasubramaniam maintained that the team had lawfully acquired the rights through Sony Music, which is said to be the present owner of the songs. He highlighted that the tracks were created before changes were made to the Copyright Act of 1957. Under the earlier version of the law, the first holder of the copyright was the producer of the original film. According to his submission, those producers had eventually transferred the rights to Sony Music, which then permitted reuse.
Ilaiyaraaja’s side, however, has continued to hold that the reuse of his work without his personal consent infringes not only on economic interests but also on his moral rights. These rights protect the relationship between the creator and the work, especially when it comes to how the composition is presented, interpreted, or altered in newer contexts.
This is not the first time the composer and the production banner have clashed. Earlier this year, Mythri Movie Makers faced similar legal trouble after Ilaiyaraaja objected to the use of his songs in Good Bad Ugly, the Ajith Kumar starrer. The court had issued an order restraining the team from using the contested tracks, which led to the film being temporarily unavailable on its streaming platform. The makers later replaced the songs with background music for the digital version.
A ruling that echoes far beyond one film
The latest order serves as a reminder to filmmakers and production companies that acquiring rights from a music label may not always be the final step in securing lawful usage. Questions of attribution, creative control and proper handling of classic compositions remain central in disputes involving iconic works.
For composers, it creates a renewed sense of agency over how their music is presented in contemporary cinema. For the audience, this ruling might influence how nostalgia driven filmmaking evolves, with creators possibly choosing more original reinterpretations to avoid legal entanglements.
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