New Delhi: 'Manjummel Boys' has landed in legal trouble as celebrated Tamil music composer Ilaiyaraaja issued a legal notice over the unauthorised use of his song Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan from the Tamil movie 'Gunaa' (1991). The Hindu reported that the Malayalam film which released in February 2024 and was lauded by fans and critics alike, now finds itself in legal problems.
Ilaiyaraaja takes legal action against Manjummel Boys makers
As per the same report, Ilaiyaraaja accused the makers of 'Manjummel Boys' for 'unlawfully' exploiting the song Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan in their movie without his ‘consent, permission or licence’.
The notice issued by Ilaiyaraaja's counsel reportedly said that the song was composed by him. Though this was credited in the beginning credits of 'Manjummel Boys, 'the same or any underlying gesture cannot be a substitute for our client’s permission/licence/content for such usage,' the notice read.
Music Composer offers two options to make up for the unauthorised use of Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan
Since the song has been used commercially without authorisation and payment of royalty of a license fee to Ilaiyaraaja, his team called upon the makers of 'Manjummel Boys' to either get the composer's permission or remove the song from the film, besides also paying a compensation for unauthorised usage.
The notice also warned appropriate civil and criminal proccedings against the film's producers Soubhin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony, if they failed to abide by the options offered to them.
About Manjummel Boys
'Manjummel Boys' is a survival drama that follows the story of 11 friends from Kerala planning a trip to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. Based on a true incident from 2006, the story follows the aftermath of one when one of the boys gets trapped in the Guna Caves.
'Manjummel Boys' was a blockbuster in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The film became the first in the Malayal film industry to earn more than Rs. 200 cr and the highest Malayalam grosser, breaking the record of '2018'.
About Gunaa
Meanwhile, 'Gunaa' is a Tamil psychological romantic drama starring Kamal Haasan and Rekha. The film was directed by Santhana Bharathi and co-writted by Sab John. Released in 1991, 'Gunaa' became a critical success despite having a decent box office run. Over the years, the film has acquired cult status in Tamil Nadur and inspired many films about mentally obsessed lovers.