Ilaiyaraaja Sues Ajith-Starrer Tamil Film 'Good Bad Ugly' Over Copyright Infringement

Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has sued the makers of Good Bad Ugly for using his songs without consent, seeking Rs 5 crore. He earlier settled a similar row with Manjummel Boys for Rs 60 lakh and is also locked in a copyright battle with Sony Music.

Chennai: Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has filed a lawsuit against the makers of Good Bad Ugly, starring Ajith Kumar, accusing them of copyright infringement. The composer alleges that three of his songs were used in the film without his consent and is seeking Rs 5 crore in damages. The case is scheduled to be heard on Monday, September 8. Good Bad Ugly was released in theaters on April 10. According to Ilaiyaraaja, he issued a legal notice on April 15 demanding compensation and the removal of the songs within a week. The notice warned of legal action if the producers failed to comply. The film’s makers, however, insist that they secured permission from the rightful rights holders and deny any wrongdoing.

Directed by Aadi Ravi Chandra, Good Bad Ugly opened to a strong box office performance, grossing nearly Rs 100 crore in its first five days. The action-packed entertainer featured an ensemble cast including Sunil, Shine Tom Chacko, Prasanna, Jackie Shroff, Prabhu, Yogi Babu, Trisha, Priya Warrier, and Simran. The film was jointly produced by Mythri Movie Makers and T-Series, with music composed by GV Prakash Kumar.

Ilaiyaraaja's Previous Disputes

Ilaiyaraaja has previously taken legal action against filmmakers for the alleged unauthorized use of his iconic tracks. Earlier, he had locked horns with the makers of Chidambaram’s survival thriller Manjummel Boys over the unauthorized use of his classic track “Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan” from the film Guna. The dispute began after Ilaiyaraaja issued a legal notice, pointing out that although the song was credited in the film’s title cards, the producers had neither sought prior consent nor obtained a formal license. His notice demanded that the filmmakers either remove the song or secure authorization, while also seeking ₹2 crore in damages given the film’s strong commercial run.

Following negotiations, however, the matter was settled amicably. According to Moneycontrol, the producers agreed to pay Rs 60 lakh to resolve the dispute, a significant reduction from the initial demand. Ilaiyaraaja has also been engaged in a long-standing copyright battle with Sony Music over ownership of his vast catalogue of songs. The composer has argued that while record labels may hold rights to audio recordings, the underlying musical compositions belong solely to him as their creator.