Ilaiyaraaja issues legal notice to Lokesh Kanagaraj-Rajinikanth's 'Coolie': Here's why
Renowned composer Ilaiyaraaja has reportedly issued a legal notice to Sun Pictures, the production house behind Lokesh Kanagaraj's upcoming film Coolie, featuring Rajinikanth. The dispute revolves around the unauthorized use of his song. According to an India Today report, the notice alleges that a segment of the song Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa from the 1983 film Thanga Magan was used in Coolie without proper consent.
Ilaiyaraaja is 'shocked and concerned' over unauthorized song use
The legal document emphasizes that Sun Pictures neither obtained permission nor paid any royalty fee to Ilaiyaraaja for using the song in Coolie's announcement video. A portion reads: "Our Client is shocked, surprised, concerned to notice that you (Sun Pictures) have, without obtaining authorization and permission, exploited the musical work/song of our Client." This usage is deemed as a distorted version of the original musical work.
Ilaiyaraaja accused Kanagaraj of repeated infringements
The report mentioned that Ilaiyaraaja's legal notice also accuses director Kanagaraj of repeatedly using his music without authorization in films such as Vikram 2 (2022) and Fight Club (2023). The notice states, "Some of the musical works of our Client have been exploited without authorization in his earlier films." It further adds that these infringements were carried out without payment or consent, which is prejudicial to Ilaiyaraaja's reputation and original creations.
'Coolie' featured reimagined version of Ilaiyaraaja's song
As per the complaint, Coolie features a reimagined version of Ilaiyaraaja's song. The recreated song was composed by Anirudh Ravichander, who also worked on the music for Vikram. This film is Kanagaraj's follow-up project to the 2023 Thalapathy Vijay-starrer Leo. The outcome of this legal dispute remains uncertain.
Rajinikanth is set to return to action with 'Coolie'
Meanwhile, marking the first collaboration between Kanagaraj and Rajinikanth, Coolie released a captivating three-minute teaser on April 22. It offered a glimpse of the superstar in action, reminiscent of scenes from his blockbuster movies. With each punch thrown and the villain defeated, Rajinikanth's charisma shines through. Rajini aside, Shruti Haasan is rumored to be a part of the film. However, official confirmation is awaited.
