Ilaiyaraaja Takes Legal Action Against Dude Film

Legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja has been actively filing legal cases against filmmakers and music companies for using his songs without proper permission. The latest to face this issue is director, actor Pradeep Ranganathan's upcoming film Dude, along with Sony Music. For several years, audio platforms and film teams freely used popular songs without directly seeking permission from the original creators. However, Ilaiyaraaja has recently started taking legal steps against such unauthorized usage, leading to trouble for production houses and music labels.

According to reports, Ilaiyaraaja is now planning to sue Sony Music for using his song "Karutha Machan" in Dude without acquiring the necessary rights. It appears that movie teams are getting approvals from audio platforms, but those platforms themselves are not securing permission from Ilaiyaraaja. The composer has sued the makers for the unauthorized use of the needle drop 'Karutha Machan', which he composed for the movie Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu (1991), directed by Bharathiraja. Ilaiyaraaja filed a lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment India, Echo Recording Company, and Oriental Records in the United States over the unlawful use of his song in Dude.

The Madras High Court heard arguments from both concerned parties in the case, with Ilaiyaraaja's team arguing that Sony had still not responded to the issue and that the filmmakers were still using the song in the film Dude, which is running successfully in theatres. The music label was asked by the Madras High Court to submit the details of their income derived from the commercial use of Ilaiyaraaja's catalogue under their name. The hearing has been set for next month on 19th November, with Ilaiyaraaja permitted to continue his legal battle against the makers of Dude.

Dude is racing towards Rs 100 crore collection from at the box office. The song 'Karutha Machan' is used in a humorous reference during the interval sequence of Dude, involving a dance sequence at a wedding function featuring both Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju.