The case concerns the song ‘Veer Raja Veera’ from the movie Ponniyin Selvan II (2023) and whether it draws from a classical Dhrupad composition called ‘Shiva Stuti’.
The court found a song in Mani Ratnam’s film identical to a classical composition by late musician duo Junior Dagar Brothers, directing the composer & Madras Talkies to pay up over Rs 2 cr.
My one quarrel with Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan is that it emphasises on the war-mongering elements of Chola history not on their aesthetic, administrative achievements.
Dhrupad maestro Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar has alleged that AR Rahman's song Veera Raja Veera in Ponniyin Selvan 2 'lifted' materials from 'Shiva Stuti' that his father and uncle had composed.
PS: 1 can be a tad overwhelming for someone not well versed with the universe of Ponniyin Selvan. But it still guarantees a grand theatrical experience.
We cannot absolve the Election Commission of all the blame, but we must emphasise that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must shoulder the lion’s share of the responsibility for these exclusions.
Fears that an escalation of the conflict could heighten a fuel squeeze & endanger the economy unnerved traders, with NYT reporting Iran stopped negotiating a truce with the US.
China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.
COMMENTS