A.R. Rahman Undertakes To Credit Dagar Brothers In 'Veera Raja Veera' Song; Supreme Court Closes Dagar's Appeal

Music composer A.R. Rahman on Friday undertook before the Supreme Court of India to give credit to Late Ustad Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar in relation to the song “Veera Raja Veera” from Ponniyin Selvan II.

The court accordingly closed the appeal filed by Dhrupad vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar against a division bench order of the Delhi High Court that had modified interim relief granted in the copyright dispute.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi recorded the undertaking that the revised credits would be displayed on all OTT and online platforms within five weeks.

“We have persuaded the parties for an alternative interim arrangement, regardless of the reasons assigned by the learned single judge or the division bench. Upon persuasion, Mr. Dhawan has agreed that as an interim arrangement, on all OTT and online platforms, the slides depicting the credits and respectively subjects and shall be as follows.”

The revised credit will read:

“Composition inspired from the Dagarwani tradition Dhrupad, first recorded by Late Ustad Faiyazuddin Dagar and nephew of Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar, recorded as Shiv Stuti.”

Chief Justice Surya Kant said, “It goes without saying that the civil suit shall proceed without being influenced by our observations. R1 shall modify and display the revised credits within 5 weeks.”

The Court clarified that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the copyright claims and that the trial court would adjudicate the suit in accordance with law.

It also recorded that the sum of Rs. 2 crore deposited pursuant to the April 25, 2025 judgment of the Delhi High Court would continue to remain with the Registrar, subject to further orders.

“The respondents have already deposited a sum of Rs. 2 crores in terms of Para 200(b) of the judgment of the Hon'ble learned single judge dated April 25, 2025. The said amount shall be kept with the Registrar of the high court in the same manner as were directed by the learned single judge.”

The dispute arose from the use of the classical Dhrupad composition “Shiva Stuti” in the film song “Veera Raja Veera”, composed by Rahman for Ponniyin Selvan II. The controversy surfaced after the film's theatrical release on April 28, 2023.

Dagar alleged that protectable portions of “Shiva Stuti”, attributed to the late Junior Dagar Brothers, had been incorporated into the film song without authorisation. According to him, the composition was jointly created in the 1970s by Late Ustad Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar as part of the Dagarvani tradition of Hindustani classical music.

It was first publicly recorded during a performance at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam on June 22, 1978 and later commercially released. He claimed that copyright and moral rights devolved upon him pursuant to a family settlement after the demise of the original composers.

Dagar further alleged that two of his disciples who later participated in the recording of “Veera Raja Veera” shared the composition with Rahman without consent. He contended that the song reproduced the core melodic structure, swara patterns, rhythmic cycle and emotional expression of “Shiva Stuti”, amounting to infringement of copyright and moral rights.

In 2023, Dagar filed a commercial suit before the Delhi High Court seeking injunctions, recognition of moral rights, damages and attribution. On April 25, 2025, a single judge partly granted interim relief, directing correction of credits, deposit of Rs. 2 crore as security and payment of costs.

Rahman challenged that order before a division bench, which set aside and modified portions of the interim directions, including the requirement of depositing Rs. 2 crore and certain observations that it said amounted to final findings. It clarified that all issues relating to originality, authorship, and infringement would be decided at trial.

Aggrieved by the modification of interim relief, Dagar approached the Supreme Court. With Rahman's undertaking now recorded, the appellate proceedings have been closed.