'Manjummel Boys' makers hand over Rs 60 lakh compensation to Ilaiyaraaja; Reports

Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja courted controversy after moving legally against the makers of the movie 'Manjummel Boys' over the unauthorized use of the lullaby 'Kanmani Anbodu', taken from the 1991 movie 'Guna'. As per reports from Indian Express, it is purported that the makers have handed over Rs 60 lakh as compensation for the iconic musician to settle the case.

Ilaiyaraaja had demanded RS 2 crore as compensation after the film scripted unprecedented success in the industry. When the song appeared in the climax sequence, the theatre went into thunderous applause which paved the way for reels with this song to acclaim national popularity. Ilaiyaraaja, known for expressing discontentment over using his songs unauthorisingly, jumped into action filing a legal petition.

The musician’s counsel argued that the song was Ilaiyaraaja’s creation and he held the ultimate rights to the composition. Manjummel Boys makers defended saying they have acknowledged the musician in the credits.

However, the musician’s counsel used the Copyrights Act 1957 to state that the makers indulged in the exploitation of work for commercial gain without showing any propriety of paying royalty.