New Delhi: Music Composer AR Rahman The Supreme Court on Friday gave its nod to the Dagar family heirs suing Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar and Ustad N Zahiruddin Dagar, popular as Junior Dagar Bandhu, for copyright infringement in their song “Vera Raja Veera”.Rehman’s senior counsel AM Singhvi, appearing in court, told a three-judge bench headed by CJI Surya Kant that the composer has always respected tradition and adopted the spirit behind the court’s recommendations during the last hearing. Singhvi said Rahman will insert a new end credit for the song so that it will be displayed every time it is played on OTT or online channels.
The lyrics read: “Inspired by the Dagarvani traditional Dhrupad, it was originally recorded by the late Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar and the late Ustad N Zahiruddin Dagar under the name Shiva Stuti”. Singhvi said the insertion would take four weeks to take effect across all media. The bench granted the same five weeks.Delhi High Court Justice Pratibha Singh asked that the credit “based on works of Dhrupad of Dagarvani tradition” be replaced with “works of Shiva Stuti based on late Ustad Faiyazuddin Dagar and late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar”. The HC Division Bench set aside the interim direction on an appeal filed by Rahman. It was challenged by Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar in SC.A week ago, the judges recommended that Rahman recognize the contribution of legendary Jr Dagar Bandhu to the Dhrupad classical music tradition.Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar filed a lawsuit seeking to ban Rahman from using “Shiva Stuti” and said he still owned the copyright to his father and uncle’s work.Disposing of the appeal, the bench said that all arguments between the parties would remain open during the hearing of the suit before the Single Judge of the High Court and clarified that it was not expressing any opinion on the substance of any issue raised in the suit.
