New Delhi: Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has taken legal action against the makers of Ajith Kumar’s latest film, “Good Bad Ugly,” alleging the unauthorized use of his iconic songs. The film, directed by Adhik Ravichandran, was released on April 10 and features an ensemble cast including Trisha, Prasanna, Sunil, Arjun Das, and others. While G.V. Prakash Kumar composed the music for the film, it reportedly includes several retro hits originally composed by Ilaiyaraaja.
Box office success surpassed by legal controversy
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics as well as audiences, the film has performed impressively well at the box office, with an earning of over Rs 150 crore globally. Fans have celebrated the makeover of Ajith and his performance, making the film a hit. However, controversy has stirred as Ilaiyaraaja has identified the use of his compositions in the film without getting proper consent.
As per the reports, some songs are claimed to have been reused in “Good Bad Ugly.” All these tracks were initially composed by Ilaiyaraaja, who now claims that his rights have been violated.
According to sources, through his legal team, Ilaiyaraaja has issued a notice asking compensation of Rs 5 crore from the “Good Bad Ugly” production team for an unauthorised use of his tracks. He has also requested that the songs should be withdrawn from the film directly and demands on a written apology within seven days, recognising the terms of his complaint.
Likewise, he has objected to any remixing or mixing of his original work that changes its significance. Notably, Ilaiyaraaja had sent a similar notice last year to the “Manjummel Boys” team for using his compositions without approval.
