The Malayalam survival thriller Manjummel Boys has been a frequent topic in the news this year, though not always for positive reasons. Earlier, the film's makers were served a copyright notice by Ilaiyaraaja for the unauthorized use of the song Kanmani Anbodu, which the legendary composer originally created for the 1991 film Gunaa.
In a recent update reported by Cinema Express, the makers of Manjummel Boys have compensated Ilaiyaraaja with a sum of 60 lakhs. Initially, Ilaiyaraaja demanded 2 crores, citing the film's massive success as a basis for the amount. However, after negotiations, the agreed-upon compensation was set at 60 lakhs.
The filmmakers asserted that they had obtained the necessary permissions from the music companies holding the song's rights. Nonetheless, Ilaiyaraaja's legal team maintained that the composer retains absolute rights over his original works. The notice sent to the film's producers emphasized: “The same or any underlying gesture cannot replace our client’s permission, license, or consent for such usage.”
Ilaiyaraaja highlighted that his rights are protected under the Copyright Act of 1957, and using his compositions for commercial purposes without his permission and payment of royalties is a clear legal violation.
This incident is not an isolated case for Ilaiyaraaja. In May, he issued a copyright notice to the creators of Rajinikanth's upcoming film Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Moreover, the producers of Manjummel Boys are entangled in another legal issue. In May, they faced allegations of scamming an investor out of 7 crores. The accusations claim that the producers had premeditated intentions to defraud the investor and did not invest any of their own money into the project.