Legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja is once again in the spotlight for taking strong legal action against the unauthorised use of his music. For filmmakers and music labels, his songs have become a legal tightrope even licensed tracks can face trouble without his personal approval.
The latest dispute involves the Tamil film Dude, starring Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju. The movie, which is nearing ₹80 crore at the global box office, features the song Karutha Machan from the 1991 film Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu. Reports say the makers paid ₹15-20 lakh to license two songs, but Ilaiyaraaja’s team claims the use breached his “moral rights,” as Sony Music India allegedly failed to get his explicit consent.
This isn’t the first time such an issue has surfaced. Ajith Kumar’s Good Bad Ugly was earlier pulled from Netflix following Ilaiyaraaja’s legal action over song usage. Films like Manjummel Boys have also faced similar lawsuits.
Ilaiyaraaja has consistently maintained that his compositions can’t be used without both proper licensing and his personal approval. For today’s filmmakers, that means any project using his music must tread carefully or risk legal challenges that could disrupt streaming, promotions, and release plans.
