Madras High Court restrains Ajith-starrer ‘Good Bad Ugly’ producer from exhibiting movie with Ilaiyaraaja’s songs

The Madras High Court, on Monday (September 8, 2025), restrained Telangana-based Mythri Movie Makers, the producers of Ajith Kumar-starrer Good Bad Ugly (GBU), from exhibiting, screening, selling, distributing, publishing or broadcasting the movie on any platform, including OTT, along with three songs composed by acclaimed musician R. Ilaiyaraaja for other movies between 1982 and 1996.

Justice N. Senthilkumar granted the interim injunction pursuant to a copyright infringement suit filed by the music composer against the production firm. The judge said he was inclined to grant the ex-parte interim order in favour of the plaintiff since the production firm had given a “bald” reply on April 28, 2025 to a legal notice issued to it on April 11, 2025.

The judge pointed out the plaintiff, in his legal notice, had claimed to be the first owner of the copyright of the songs Otha Ruba Tharen from 1996 movie Nattupura Pattu featuringactor Sivakumar, Ilamai Idho Idho from Kamal Haasan-starrer 1982 flick Sakalakala Vallavan and En Jodi Manja Kuruvi from the 1986 movie Vikram, also starring Mr. Haasan, and accused the defendant of not having obtained his permission to use those songs.

In its reply to the legal notice, the production firm had claimed to have obtained necessary authorisation from the owners of the copyright but failed to give details with respect to the individuals/firms from which such authorisation had been obtained and the nature of such authorisation. Therefore, the judge was convinced that the plaintiff was entitled to the interim injunction as sought for by him.

In his plaint, Mr. Ilaiyaraaja said he was a music composer, conductor, arranger, lyricist and also a singer with unparalleled achievements to his credit. He had earned the title of ‘Maestro’ and was also hailed as Isaignani meaning a musical genius. The plaintiff asserted he was the copyright holder of the three songs in question and they could not have been used in GBU without his express consent.

Since the defendant production firm had commercially exploited the three songs in its movie without his authorisation, the plaintiff accused it of having blatantly violated the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1957.