Delhi HC Sets Aside Injunction Against A.R. Rahman Over Veera Raja Veera Song in Copyright Case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday overturned an interim injunction that had been granted in favour of veteran classical vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar in his lawsuit alleging that music composer A.R. Rahman and other producers of the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan 2 infringed the copyright of his composition “Shiva Stuti” through the song “Veera Raja Veera.”

A division bench comprising Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla set aside the earlier single-judge order, thereby allowing Rahman’s appeal.

A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited

In May this year, the Delhi High Court had stayed the interim injunction originally granted to Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar in his copyright infringement suit concerning “Shiva Stuti.” Dagar had alleged that Rahman and others used the composition in Ponniyin Selvan 2. At that time, the bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Ajay Digpaul had listed the matter for further consideration on May 23, 2025.

Earlier, in April 2025, a single-judge bench presided over by Justice Prathiba M. Singh had granted the injunction in Dagar’s favour. Pursuant to that order, Rahman deposited Rs 2 crore.

In her order, Justice Singh had observed,“The core of the impugned song Veera Raja Veera is not just inspired but is in fact identical in Swaras (notes), Bhava (emotion), and Aural impact (impact on the ear) of the suit composition Shiva Stuti, from the point of view of a lay listener. Hence, the Defendant’s composition infringes the Plaintiff’s rights in Shiva Stuti.”

Court had also held that Dagar was not given due acknowledgment as the original author of the composition, amounting to a serious violation of his moral rights.

The order further noted, “These facts demonstrate the intricate link between Shiva Stuti and Veera Raja Veera. The balance of convenience is thus in favour of the Plaintiff, as once the movie and song lose their audience by the time trial is concluded, the Plaintiff would have lost any possibility of effective acknowledgment. Irreparable injury would thus be caused to the creative and moral rights of the original composers who are no longer alive.”

Accordingly, the single judge had directed Rahman and others to refrain from using the composition without proper attribution.

Case Title: A.R. Rahman v Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar

Judgment Date: 24 September 2025

Bench: Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla