AR Rahman agrees to give credit for song to Jr Dagar Brothers

Music composer AR Rahman told the Supreme Court on Friday that he would give credit to the Junior Dagar Brothers in the song, “Veera Raja Veera”, from the “Ponniyin Selvan: II” film.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi described the personalities involved in the dispute as “reputed names of the music industry”.

It recorded Rahman’s submissions and disposed of the plea. Rahman’s counsel, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, told the bench that the musician would give credit, which would read — “Composition inspired by Dagarwani tradition Dhrupad, first recorded as ‘Shiv Stuti’ by late Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar, popularly known as Junior Dagar Brothers.”

The court was hearing a plea moved by Dhrupad vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar against a September 2025 Delhi High Court order that said there was no prima facie evidence of the Junior Dagar Brothers — Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin and Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin — being the authors of a classical rendition of “Shiv Stuti”.

The bench noted that the modified credit would be reflected across all social media and OTT platforms within five weeks.

The court directed Rahman to deposit Rs 2 crore, as fixed by the high court, before the registrar general in the interim.

The bench clarified that it has not expressed any opinion and the pending civil suit among the parties shall proceed without uninfluenced by its order.

While hearing the matter on February 13, the top court asked Rahman and the makers of the film, “Ponniyin Selvan: II”, to have “some acknowledgement” of the Dagarwani tradition’s contribution in the song “Veera Raja Veera”.

Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, the son of Faiyazuddin Dagar and nephew of Zahiruddin Dagar, had contended before the high court that he held the copyright in all original compositions of Junior Dagar Brothers, including “Shiv Stuti”, which was unlawfully infringed upon.