Ilaiyaraaja sends legal notice to Rajinikanth's Coolie producers over 'Disco' song

Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja seems to be upset about the reuse of his song "Va Va Pakkam Va" from the movie Thangamagan. It's said that the producers didn't obtain proper permission from him before remixing the song from the 1983 movie and using it as a background score in the teaser for Coolie, which stars Superstar Rajinikanth.

According to reports, Ilaiyaraaja has sent a legal notice to Sun Pictures, the producers of Coolie, demanding to secure the required permissions to use the song in the movie. The composer has also reportedly expressed his willingness to pursue legal options against the producers should they fail to honour his demands.

Ilaiyaraaja is already pursuing a legal case against several filmmakers for using his compositions without permission. The composer's dogged efforts to protect his creations and claim ownership of the songs he has composed have sparked a massive debate in the Tamil film industry. Stakeholders are now debating whether the composer can claim sole ownership of songs. Many also argue that a song is the result of a collaborative effort, involving singers and lyricists, and a composer gets paid for the songs he composes. Doesn't that make a producer the actual owner of the creation?

The Coolie teaser

Amid the ongoing debate, Ilaiyaraaja's alleged legal action against the producers of Coolie also assumes significance. The song is vastly different from Ilaiyaraaja's composition; it only retains the nostalgia of the old song.

The song "Disco" for Coolie is composed by Anirudh Ravichander. The score was revealed in the teaser that was released recently.

The teaser reveals Rajinikanth storming a safe house, which stores troves of smuggled goods while reciting punch lines from his past movies and "Disco" playing in the backdrop. The teaser garnered mixed reactions.

Coolie marks director Lokesh Kanagaraj's maiden collaboration with Rajinikanth. The filming is expected to start soon.