Ilaiyaraaja Serves Legal Notice to ‘Good Bad Ugly’ Team Over Copyright Violation; Producer Responds

Legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja has once again made headlines, this time by issuing a legal notice to the makers of Ajith Kumar’s film Good Bad Ugly. The composer has reportedly demanded a compensation of ₹5 crore, alleging unauthorized use of his songs in the film. In addition to the monetary claim, Ilaiyaraaja is also seeking a formal apology from the production team.

Responding to the allegations, producer Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movie Makers has finally addressed the controversy. In a statement to HashtagU, he clarified: “We have taken permission from all the music labels required for the songs we used in the film. The labels hold the rights, so we have followed protocol and taken NOCs from them. We have done things by the book.”

According to a report by HashtagU, music maestro Ilaiyaraaja has raised serious allegations against the makers of Good Bad Ugly, accusing them of using three of his iconic songs without obtaining his consent. In a legal notice, the composer identified the tracks in question: “Ilamai Idho Idho” from Sakalakala Vallavan, “Otha Roobayum Tharen” from Nattupura Pattu, and “En Jodi Manja Kuruvi” from Vikram.

Ilaiyaraaja stated that the filmmakers neither sought nor received permission to use or alter his compositions, labeling the act as a blatant case of copyright infringement. He emphasized that the unauthorized usage not only violates his legal rights but also infringes upon his moral rights as the original creator of the music.

In the notice, the composer demanded a compensation of ₹5 crore from the production team behind Ajith Kumar’s film. He also called for the immediate removal of all altered versions of the aforementioned songs from every platform where they have been published or performed. Additionally, Ilaiyaraaja insisted on receiving a formal written apology for the unauthorized usage.

A portion of the notice reads:

“Remove the altered versions of the songs ‘Otha Roobayum Tharen’ from the Tamil movie Nattupura Pattu, ‘Ilamai Idho Idho’ from Sakalakala Vallavan, and ‘En Jodi Manja Kuruvi’ from Vikram, and all platforms where they are published or performed.”

Despite the ongoing legal tussle, Good Bad Ugly continues to perform well at the box office. The film stars Ajith Kumar in the lead role, alongside Trisha Krishnan, Arjun Das, Priya Prakash Varrier, and others in key roles.