Ponniyin Selvan 2 song 'Veera Veera' faces plagiarism row; team sends a reply

AR Rahman's composition for the song "Veera Veera" in the recently released Tamil film "Ponniyin Selvan 2" has been accused of plagiarism. Dhrupad singer Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar alleged that the tune was lifted from his father and uncle Shiva Stuti. However, the makers of the film, Madras Talkies, denied the allegations and stated that the claim was "misconceived". 

In a letter sent to AR Rahman, Wasifuddin claimed that the composition was almost entirely "lifted" for the film and expressed his disappointment that the family's permission was not taken. However, Madras Talkies has refuted the allegations and claimed that the tune was a "traditional composition created by Narayana Panditacharyain in the 13th century". They also accused Wasifuddin of making the claim for "monetary gains & publicity". 

His letter read, "I wish Madras Talkies and Mr Rahman had taken the family’s permission. I would have never said no. But doing it like this, for massive commercial gains, is very problematic. The composition has just been lifted and sung in the same taandav style…. The only difference is the arrangement of the piece."

The Shiva Stuti, the alleged source of the melody, was first recorded in 1978 as part of a live concert at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam as part of the Holland Festival. Despite the controversy, "Ponniyin Selvan 2" has had a successful run at the box office, grossing over ₹200 crore globally in its opening 4-day weekend. The first part of the franchise grossed over ₹500 crore at the box office globally during its theatrical run and became the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time in Tamil Nadu after surpassing Kamal Haasan's "Vikram's" lifetime gross of ₹183 crore in the state.

The film is based on author Kalki Krishnamurthy's popular 1955 Tamil novels of the same name and features a star-studded cast, including Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Sobhita Dhulipala, and Prakash Raj, among others.