Delhi court stays AR Rahman's fine in Ponniyin Selvan copyright lawsuit

A Delhi court has stayed the 2 crore ($233K) fine imposed on composer AR Rahman in a copyright infringement case filed by Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar. The case concerns the Tamil song Veera Raja Veera from Ponniyin Selvan 2, which Dagar claimed was copied from his devotional track Shiva Stuti.

The court, while granting relief to Rahman, issued a directive stating,
“As we find that the impugned order has also directed the appellant (AR Rahman) to pay a deposit of ₹2 crore ($233K), keeping in mind the law which has developed in the grant of stay of money decree, we direct the appellant to deposit the amount with the registrar general of the court within ten days.”

Ponniyin Selvan and its sequel, directed by Mani Ratnam, are adaptations of Kalki Krishnamurthy's iconic Tamil novel. The story chronicles the early years of Chola prince Arunmozhi Varman. AR Rahman composed the music for both films.

The original order, delivered by Justice Prathiba M Singh on April 25, required Rahman and production house Madras Talkies to pay ₹2 crore ($233K) after observing significant similarities between Veera Raja Veera and Shiva Stuti.

Justice Singh noted that Rahman’s composition was “identical” to the traditional Dhrupad piece performed by the late Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar and Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar, both proponents of the Dagarvani tradition.

According to a report by News18, the Delhi High Court has scheduled a detailed hearing of the case for May 23, 2025.