The producers of Ajith Kumar’s Good Bad Ugly, Mythri Movie Makers, received a legal letter from veteran music composer Ilaiyaraaja on Tuesday, April 15, claiming that they had utilized his songs in the Adhik Ravichandran-directed film without his consent or proper authorization. In addition to Rs. 5 crores in compensation, the composer has demanding that the songs be taken out of the movie.
A number of songs from the past were included in Good Bad Ugly, which hit theaters last Thursday. These included three of Ilaiyaraaja’s compositions: “Ilamai Idho Idho” from 1982’s Sakalakala Vallavan, “En Jodi Manja Kuruvi” from 1986’s Vikram, and “Oththa Roova” from 1996’s Nattupura Pattu.
The three songs have been “used, altered, and commercially exploited” in the movie, “without obtaining express consent/permission of our Client and/or his authorization, and without payment of royalties that he is statutorily entitled to,” according to the notice sent to producers Naveen Yerneni and Y Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movie Makers.
Such acts clearly violate our client’s copyright and moral rights and amount to unapproved use and appropriation. It further stated, “You may also take note that he has never granted any express or implied permission or consent for using, altering, distorting, or changing the form of the musical work that has been used in the cinematograph.”
