Manjummel Boys producers receive legal notice from ace musician Ilaiyaraja. The controversy erupted as the film producers decided to use the maestro’s composition. The music director is taking legal action against the makers for using the “Gunaa” song in the film.
Ilaiyaraja’s legal team cited copyright violation as the film crew didn’t seek the composer’s permission to use his song.
Hit film Manjummel Boys lands in a scandal
In recent times, Malayalam films have been getting a lot of love from across India. Among such blockbusters, Manjummel Boys received huge box office numbers and critical acclaim. However, the Tamil composer’s legal team allege the unauthorised use of the song “Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan” from his portfolio.
The hit song first featured in Kamal Hassan starrer “Gunaa.” Kanmani’s song comes at a crucial point in the film Manjummel Boys, which revolves around the crux of the story.
Fans and trade experts alike hailed the apt use of this song in the recently successful movie, directed by Chidambaram. But as it turns out, the makers didn’t have the blessings of Ilaiyaraja to use this iconic song.
Crediting is not enough
Kanmani’s song plays during the climax of Manjummel Boys, which is based on a true story. A few people save a member of their friend group, who falls into a deep fissure among caves. Incidentally, those are in Kodaikanal, called Guna caves, named after the film “Gunna” which was shot here in 1990.
Needless to say, the makers thought it would be wise to evoke nostalgia in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam film fans of all ages. The film went on to collect INR 200 crore worldwide and a massive fan following.
But this is where things turn ugly, as Ilaiyaraja claimed copyright infringement. He had sent the producers legal notice to remove the song or use proper channels to get this permission.
Producer Shawn Antony responded through the media saying that they acquired the rights to play the song in Tamil and Telugu versions. “Pyramid and Sreedevi Sounds are two music companies that hold the rights for these languages,” he said.
But per Ilaiyaraja, he not only owns the song but has all moral rights over his original musical works. Crediting him in the title cards is not enough, they have to get his consent. Otherwise, this is just exploitation. The musician has also been fighting against copyright infringement for many years. In the past, he also sent Sun Picture a legal notice for using his song for the “Collie” movie promotion, starring Rajinikanth.
About Kanmani song
“KanmaniAnbodu Kadhalan” a song that you heard many times in the survival drama was sung by Kamal Haasan and S Janaki. The song holds a special place in South Indian music and movie lovers across generations. Manjummel Boys, a gripping thriller based on a real-life incident, is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.