‘Veera Raja Veera’ Copyright Dispute Reaches Supreme Court

In a dispute concerning alleged infringement by A. R. Rahman’s composition “Veera Raja Veera” from the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan – II, the Supreme Court of India last week observed that some form of acknowledgement may be warranted for the Dhrupad composition “Shiva Stuti”, first performed by the Junior Dagar Brothers.[1]

It is the case of Dhrupad vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar that the suit composition was jointly authored in the 1970s by his father, Late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar, and his uncle, Late Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar, and the copyright devolved upon him pursuant to a family settlement. Dagar contends that “Veera Raja Veera” reproduces substantial and protectable elements of “Shiva Stuti.”

In April 2025, the Delhi High Court allowed Dagar’s application for an interim injunction, holding that a prima facie case of infringement had been established. The Court directed that the impugned song, across OTT and online platforms, carry a credit stating that it is based on “Shiva Stuti” by the Late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and the Late Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar. Rahman subsequently approached the Division Bench, which stayed the injunction in May 2025 and later set aside the interim order in September 2025.

While clarifying that it was not expressing any final opinion on authorship or originality, which are issues to be determined at trial, the Division Bench made several significant observations. It noted that the 1978 Amsterdam recording and subsequent CD releases credited the Junior Dagar Brothers only as performers, not as composers or authors of “Shiva Stuti,” and cautioned that treating performance credits as authorship would blur the statutory distinction under the Copyright Act, 1957. The Bench further held that although the April 2025 interim order correctly stated that originality requires skill and judgment, its finding of originality was unsupported by positive evidence demonstrating independent skill and expression and instead relied on the absence of contrary evidence.

The matter is now listed before the Supreme Court on February 20, 2026. The Court’s ruling, along with the eventual outcome of the pending suit before the Delhi High Court, is likely to have significant ramifications not only for the parties but also for the entire Hindustani classical music industry in India.

[1] Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar v.  A.R. Rahman and Ors., SLP(C) No. 4742/2026