Will acknowledge Junior Dagar Brothers in 'Ponniyin Selvan II' song, A.R. Rahman tells SC
New Delhi, Feb 20
Music composer A.R. Rahman on Friday assured the Supreme Court that he would acknowledge the song "Veera Raja Veera", featured in the Tamil film "Ponniyin Selvan II", as being inspired by the traditional composition "Shiva Stuti" of classical vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar's family.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Rahman, informed the apex court that the composer had agreed, as an interim arrangement, to acknowledge the performance of the late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar - popularly known as the Junior Dagar Brothers.
He clarified that the concession was made "without prejudice" to Rahman's rights and contentions in the main civil suit pending before the Delhi High Court.
Recording the submission, a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi directed that the modification in the song credits be reflected across all social media and OTT platforms within five weeks.
The CJI-led Bench made it clear that the civil suit will proceed on its own merits and would not be influenced by any observations made during the present proceedings.
With these observations, the Supreme Court disposed of the special leave petition (SLP) filed by classical vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, challenging the Delhi High Court order that had set aside an earlier single-judge injunction against Rahman and other defendants.
During an earlier hearing, the CJI Surya Kant-led Bench had observed that the Dagarvani tradition has made an unparalleled contribution to Indian classical music and suggested that some form of acknowledgement could be considered instead of entering into "legal niceties".
In a judgment passed on September 24, 2025, a division bench of Justices C. Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla of the Delhi High Court had held that there was no prima facie material to establish that the Junior Dagar Brothers were the authors or composers of "Shiva Stuti", and had vacated the interim directions, including the order to deposit Rs 2 crore and to modify the song credits.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some sense prevails! The Supreme Court's suggestion was spot on. Instead of long legal battles, a simple credit can preserve the dignity of our gharana traditions. Veera Raja Veera is a beautiful song, and now it will carry the respect it deserves.
Interesting that the High Court said there was no prima facie material to establish the Dagars as authors. So this acknowledgement is more of a gracious gesture than a legal admission. Smart move by Rahman's team to settle it this way and avoid more bad press.
As someone who loves both Indian classical and film music, I'm glad this is resolved. The blend is what makes Rahman special. But artists should always be careful and do their due diligence regarding sources. A credit costs nothing but means everything.
Respect to CJI Surya Kant for recognizing the contribution of Dagarvani. Our institutions need to protect our cultural legacy. The 5-week timeline for updating credits on all platforms is also a practical order. Justice served.
While I'm happy for the acknowledgement, I hope this doesn't discourage composers from using classical elements. Inspiration is a complex process. The line between inspiration and copying is thin, and the law should be clear to protect genuine creativity too.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.