Composer Ilaiyaraaja Sends Legal Notice to the Makers of Manjummel Boys Over Copyright Infringement

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MAY 24,2024

Tamil veteran music composer Ilaiyaraajaecently sent a legal notice to the makers of the Malayalam language film Manjummel Boys. The notice pertains to the unlawful use of the song Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan from the 1991 Tamil film Gunaa, which starred Kamal Haasan. The legendary composer claimed that the Manjummel Boys producers used the song without authorization or payment of any royalty or licence fee.

Ilaiyaraajasends legal notice to Manjummel Boys producers over copyright infringement

In the legal notice sent by Ilaiyaraaja's legal team, the composer has accused the makers of the Malayalam film Manjummel Boys of unlawfully exploiting his song titled Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan. He claims that the same was used in the film without his consent, permission, or licence.

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The composer also stated that although the makers credited Ilaiyaraajain the title cards, 'the same or any underlying gesture cannot be a substitute for our client's permission, licence, or content for such usage,' the notice read.

The legal notice provided the producers of Manjummel Boys with two options. Either they can obtain the composer's official permission to use the copyright label, or they can remove the musical piece altogether for the film. Likewise, the notice also claimed compensation for the unauthorised use that the makers had already made.

Failure to do any of these things would lead to Ilaiyaraajagoing for appropriate criminal and civil proceedings, the legal notice stated. Ilaiyaraaja gave the makers of Manjummel Boys, namely, Soubhin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony, an ultimatum of choice in the case.

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Ilaiyaraaja's ongoing fight over copyrights

The Tamil veteran composer had sent a legal notice to the makers of Rajnikanth's film Coolie previously. He alleged that the makers used a song from his 1983 film Thanga Magan. Apart from this, the composer has been fighting a legal battle for 'special moral rights' over 4,500 songs, which he composed for more than a thousand films.

More about Manjummel Boys

Manjummel Boys is a Malayalam language film starring Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Khalid Rahman, Jean Paul Lal, Deepak Parambol, Balu Varghese, and many others. The film is a survival drama about a group of 11 boys, one of whom falls inside a cave on their trip to Kodaikanal. The name of the caves is Gunaa, the same film from which the makers used the song.