Chennai, 22 October (H.S.) : Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja has escalated his long-running battle over the ownership and royalties of his compositions by filing a case against Sony Music and the producers of the film Dude in the Madras High Court. The veteran composer, who has over 7,000 songs to his credit, has alleged that both parties are engaged in copyright violations by commercially exploiting his musical works without proper authorisation.

In his petition against Sony Music, Ilaiyaraaja stated that the company continues to generate significant profits from his songs without obtaining the necessary rights. He is seeking full disclosure of all revenue Sony Music has earned through the commercial use of his compositions.

Separately, the composer took action against the producers of Pradeep Ranganathan’s film Dude, pointing out that two of his songs were used in the movie without obtaining permission. Specifically, the song Karutha Machan from the 1991 film Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu was featured in Dude, which is currently running in theatres.

Upon hearing the plea, the Madras High Court acknowledged the matter. Regarding the music used in the film Dude, the High Court noted that a separate case could be filed concerning that specific issue. This legal action follows a similar move earlier this year where Ilaiyaraaja sued Mythri Movie Makers for the 'unauthorised' use of three of his hit songs in Ajith Kumar's 2025 film, Good Bad Ugly.

The maestro's consistent legal actions underscore his determination to protect his intellectual property rights amid ongoing disputes in the industry.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary