Ilaiyaraaja doesn't own the copyright for 'En Iniya Pon Nilave', orders Delhi court

Yuvan Shankar Raja has recently recreated the iconic song En Iniya Pon Nilave from the film Moodu Pani, originally composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The song, penned by Gangai Amaran, has now been recreated for the film 'Agathiya,' which is directed by lyricist Pa. Vijay and stars Jiiva in the lead role. While the original version was sung by legendary playback singer K. J. Yesudas, the recreated version features his son Vijay Yesudas.

The copyright of the songs from 'Moodu Pani' belongs to Saregama. The company filed a case in the Delhi High Court, stating, “Without obtaining proper permission from us, the song 'En Iniya Pon Nilave' has been used in the film Agathiya produced by Vels International. Despite issuing a notice, they have continued to release the song across various platforms.” In response, Vels International argued, “We obtained the rights for recreating the song from its original composer, Ilaiyaraaja.” However, the core legal issue revolved around the ownership of the song’s copyright.


After reviewing the matter, the Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Saregama, stating, “The copyright for the song En Iniya Pon Nilave belongs to Saregama. Ilaiyaraaja does not have the authority to grant rights to third parties for its use.” This judgment has clarified the rightful ownership of the song's intellectual property.

'Agathiya' features Jiiva, Arjun, Raashi Khanna, and John Kokken in main roles, and the film was supposed to be released in theaters today (Jan 31). But the film has been postponed due to a delay in post-production, and the new release date is anticipated to be announced soon.