Rajinikanth's first reaction to Ilaiyaraaja's legal notice to Coolie producers

Superstar Rajinikanth returned to Chennai on Saturday after completing the shoot for "Vettaiyan" in Mumbai. He encountered media personnel at the airport and was asked about his upcoming movies. Rajinikanth expressed happiness about the positive reactions from fans to the "Coolie" teaser but showed little interest in commenting on the controversy it has sparked.

When asked about composer Ilaiyaraaja sending a legal notice to the producers of "Coolie," Rajinikanth replied, "That's between Ilaiyaraaja and the producers," without elaborating further.

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Rajinikanth appears to have no personal issues with Ilaiyaraaja, viewing it as purely a professional conflict.

For those unaware, Ilaiyaraaja sent a legal notice to producers Sun Pictures for using a remixed version of his song "Va Va Pakkam Va" from the 1983 movie "Thangamagan" in the "Coolie" teaser. In the teaser, the "Disco" inspired by "Va Va Pakkam Va" plays in the background as Rajinikanth confronts his rivals in a warehouse.

The "Disco," composed by Anirudh Ravichander, was well-received by fans but didn't sit well with Ilaiyaraaja. The music maestro alleged that the producers did not obtain the necessary permissions to remix the song for "Coolie." He demanded that the producers obtain proper permissions for the continued use of the song in films and teasers, or else he would be compelled to initiate legal action. Sun Pictures has not publicly responded to Ilaiyaraaja's notice yet.

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"Coolie" marks Rajinikanth's first collaboration with Lokesh Kanagaraj. Lokesh is known for his penchant for using classic songs and references from old movies to infuse his films with a sense of nostalgia. The "Coolie" teaser was filled with inspirations from Rajinikanth's past movies, including the "Disco" song.

"Coolie" is set to begin production soon after Rajinikanth wraps up "Vettaiyan." The production of "Vettaiyan" is reportedly 80 percent complete and is expected to hit cinemas in October this year.