Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja has sent a legal copyright notice to Sun Pictures for the unauthorised use of his music in their recent film 'Coolie', featuring Tamil superstar Rajnikanth. Ilaiyaraaja stated in the notice that the filmmakers had utilised his musical compositions in the teaser without obtaining proper authorisation.
Ilaiyaraaja has asserted his ownership of the music, stating that the movie producers did not obtain any formal permission from him. He claimed in the notice that the teaser of 'Coolie' featured a rendition of his song 'Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa' from the film 'Thanga Magan', also starring Rajinikanth. According to the petitioner, this music has been remixed in the song 'Disco' for 'Coolie', according to a report on IANS.
The music maestro emphasised that such usage constitutes a clear violation of the Copyright Act (1957). Additionally, Ilaiyaraaja pointed out that the director of 'Coolie', Lokesh Kanagaraj, had previously used his compositions in the movie 'Vikram' without obtaining consent.
In the notice, Ilaiyaraaja demanded that the producers of 'Coolie' either obtain proper authorisation for the song 'Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa' or remove it from the movie's teaser. The notice also warned that failure to comply with these conditions would result in the producers facing serious legal repercussions.
The name of Superstar Rajinikanth's 171st was unveiled as 'Coolie' along with a teaser. Music director Anirudh Ravichandran and stunt director Anbariv have been dropped from the film.
'Coolie' signifies the debut collaboration between director Lokesh Kanagaraj and Rajinikanth. The film produced by Sun Pictures commenced its journey in September 2023. According to reports, Sivakarthikeyan is slated to play a significant role in the movie. However, an official announcement regarding the cast and crew is expected shortly.