Ilaiyaraaja Wins Rs 60 Lakh Compensation In Legal Battle Against 'Manjummel Boys' For Using 'Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan' Song

Legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja had sent a legal notice to the producers of ‘Manjummel Boys’ for using his song, ‘Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan’, without permission in May. The producers had responded and mentioned that they had secured the rights from two labels. However, a recent report has revealed that the case was turned in Ilaiyaraaja’s favour and the matter was settled for Rs 60 lakh.

As reported by Moneycontrol, Ilaiyaraaja had demanded Rs 2 crore as compensation for the use of ‘Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan’ in ‘Manjummel Boys.’ The report mentioned that the producers - Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony – met the composer to negotiate. After ‘intense negotiations’, the parties reached a truce. The producers said that the amount demanded by Ilaiyaraaja was ‘exorbitant.’ They settled the case for Rs 60 lakhs.

The song – ‘Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan’ – has been used in some of the most pivotal scenes in ‘Manjummel Boys.’ The song was originally a part of Kamal Haasan’s 1991 movie, ‘Gunaa.’ Recently, Ilaiyaraaja has been fighting for copyrights to his songs. In 2017, he filed a lawsuit against singer SP Balasubrahmanyam for performing his compositions without permission during a world tour. More recently, he sent a legal notice to the producers of the Rajinikanth starrer ‘Coolie’ for using the song ‘Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa’ from the 1983 film ‘Thanga Magan’ in a promotional video without his consent.

Directed by Chidambaram, ‘Manjummel Boys’ is based on a real-life story of a man who gets trapped in the Guna Caves in Tamil Nadu. He is rescued by the local authorities and his group of friends. Outlook gave the movie a 4/5 rating. The review mentioned, “What works for this Chidambaram directorial is its raw and honest exploration of friendship and emotions.” The movie earned over Rs 242 crore at the box office.