'Good Bad Ugly' vs. Ilaiyaraaja: Courtroom fight deepens as makers claim loss; Next hearing on Sep 24

'Good Bad Ugly' makers have filed a new petition in the Madras High Court seeking to lift the interim stay on the film. Directed by Adhik Ravichandran, 'Good Bad Ugly,' starring Ajith, was released in theaters last April. Based on a petition filed earlier by Ilaiyaraaja, a ban was imposed on the use of three popular songs composed by the petitioner featured in 'Good Bad Ugly.' As per Nakkheeran, the production company has claimed that it has suffered huge losses as the film, which was streaming on Netflix's OTT platform, was removed due to this order. The petition also argues that imposing such restrictions after the issuance would severely impact the company's earnings and valuation.

Ilaiyaraaja’s legal notice alleging unauthorized use of songs

The controversy initially began with a legal notice sent by Ilaiyaraaja, who alleged that his popular songs like 'Otha Rupayum Thaaren,' 'En Jodi Manja Kuruvi,' and 'Ilamai Idho Idho' were used without permission. He demanded compensation of Rs 5 crore and royalties for this and warned that legal action would be taken if the songs were not removed within seven days. Although the production company responded that it had obtained permission from the appropriate owners, it did not disclose who those owners were, resulting in a case being filed in the High Court on behalf of Ilaiyaraaja.

Ilaiyaraaja’s side accused the makers of defying orders

During the trial, the court imposed a temporary ban on the use of all three songs. However, Ilaiyaraaja's side alleged that the film was being streamed on OTT with the same songs, defying the court order. It warned that the songs must be stopped immediately and an unconditional apology must be issued; otherwise, there would be no option but to file a contempt of court petition. Netflix subsequently removed the film 'Good, Bad, Ugly' from the platform.

'GBU' makers argue losses and challenges post-release restrictions

In the backdrop of this, the production company filed a fresh petition, emphasizing the huge loss suffered by the film due to its removal in court. It was argued that it was possible to impose an interim injunction after the film's release. The court ordered Ilaiyaraaja's side to respond and adjourned the case for hearing on the 24th. The case has sparked a huge debate in the industry regarding film music rights, OTT releases, and the legal responsibilities of production companies.