Ilaiyaraaja issues legal notice to Manjummel Boys team over 'Gunaa' song

Renowned Tamil music composer Ilaiyaraaja has given a legal notice over use of his song 'Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan' from the Tamil film Guna (1991), in Manjummel Boys, revealed The Hindu

The popular Tamil Music Composer and Rajya Sabha MP Ilaiyaraaja sent a legal notice to the makers of 'Manjummel Boys', Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir and Shawn Antony, over copyright violation. His legal team blamed the group for unauthorised use of Ilaiyaraaja's iconic 'Kanmani Anbodu' song from Kamal Haasan's 'Gunaa' at a significant point in the movie. 

The use of the song in the climax of Chidambaram's Malayalam film was praised. The true story of how a group of friends saved a friend who had fallen into a deep fissure in the Guna caves in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, is the basis for the movie "Manjummel Boys."

Ilaiyaraaja vs Manjummel Boys makers over ‘Gunaa’ song

As per the report, Ilaiyaraaja blamed the creators for Manjummel Boys of having 'unlawfully' taken advantage of the song, Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan, highlighting Kamal Haasan, in their film without acquiring his 'consent, permission or licence'. 

The notice given through Ilaiyaraaja's counsel purportedly said that the music was made by him. However, the makers of Manjummel Boys had recognised this in the title cards, 'the same or any underlying gesture cannot be a substitute for our client’s permission/licence/content for such usage,' the notice added.

The notice gave a warning that Ilaiyaraaja would treat the makers' activities as deliberate breach of his rights and initiate civil and criminal act against them under the Copyright Act, 1957.

Ilaiyaraaja vs Manjummel Boys: Pick one 

Since the musical work had been taken advantage of financially without authorisation and payment of royalty or licence fee to Ilaiyaraaja, his legal team called upon Manjummel Boys' producers to either get the composer’s permission or eliminate the musical work forthwith from their film, while also paying compensation for unapproved usage. 

The notice additionally warned that proper civil and criminal procedures would be initiated against the film's makers, Soubhin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony, if they neglected to practise either of the two choices.

‘Manjummel Boys’: About the film 

The story of a group of 11 friends from Kerala who are planning a trip to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu is told in the survival drama 'Manjummel Boys'. 

The movie takes a dramatic twist when one among the group falls into a pit inside the Guna Caves, which is named after Kamal Haasan's 1991 film of a similar title. After that, Manjummel Boys showcases the struggle his friends have to go through to rescue one of their own.