Renowned director Kasthuri Raja, father of actor Dhanush, will sue the makers of Ajith Kumar starrer Good Bad Ugly, claiming that the film has been using the copyrighted classic songs in the movie.
Good Bad Ugly was a commercial success and was appreciated for its thrilling screenplay, brilliant performances and music-entertainer genre. The Tamil action-thriller recently hit Netflix, allowing it to reach digital viewers. But now it has become controversial months after its release.
Permission is a must
During a promotional event for his next film Saamakoodangi in Salem, Kasthuri Raja expresses his worry about a new trend seen with some younger filmmakers—the appropriation of nostalgic tracks without giving credit or paying the original composers.
“When there were legends like Illaiyaraja, Deva and other composers who produced timeless music, today’s so-called creators are too dependent on the past. There’s nothing wrong with drawing on classic tracks for nostalgia, but they must ask for permission first. Unfortunately, we have gone beyond this basic courtesy today,” he added.
Illaiyaraja's legal War Paved the Way
In April, veteran composer Illaiyaraja's legal team sent out notices to the makers of Good Bad Ugly for using his classic numbers like “Ilamai Idho Idho', 'En Jodi Manja Kuruvi' and 'Oththa Roova' without permission. These tracks were modified and commercialized without proper permission, according to the notice.
The composer’s team sought Rs 5 crore in damages, a public apology and immediate deletion of the songs from all editions of the film.
Producers Deny wrongdoing
The producers, Mythri Movie Makers, responded by denying the allegations and stating that they had complied with all procedures. “We have got the NOCs (No Objection Certificates) and rights from the music labels as required. We have played by the rules,” they said in the statement.
Notwithstanding the producer’s argument, Kasthuri Raja has threatened to take legal action and has laid weight on Illaiyaraja’s stand on this issue and insisted that the original creators have to be respected regardless of the commercial exigencies.
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Ongoing dispute
With all these things going on right now, it’s going to be interesting to see how the legal process plays out if this affects the digital accessibility of Good Bad Ugly and if they remove or replace the controversial tracks.
The incident has roiled a larger discussion in the Tamil film industry about who owns intellectual property, how credit is given out and what constitutes respect for creative rights — particularly when dealing with iconic works that have influenced generations.
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