Ilaiyaraaja and Manjummel Boys Controversary
Manjummel Boys has emerged as one of the major hits in the Malayalam film industry this year. The film, which was also released in Telugu under the same title, has garnered widespread acclaim. However, following its release, the filmmakers received a notice. From the renowned music composer Ilaiyaraaja regarding the unauthorized use of the song ‘Kanmani’ in the movie.
The song ‘Kanmani’ features prominently in a crucial scene of Manjummel Boys. Ilaiyaraaja, who holds the rights to the song, claimed that the film’s team did not obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from him. On the other hand, the makers of Manjummel Boys asserted that they had acquired the rights from the audio label that owns the song.
Ilaiyaraaja and Manjummel Boys Controversary
Despite this, the producers—Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony—reportedly agreed to pay Rs 60 lakh as compensation to Ilaiyaraaja to resolve the issue. Initially, Ilaiyaraaja had demanded Rs 2 crore in compensation, citing the film’s monumental success. After extensive negotiations, both parties settled on the amount of Rs 60 lakh.
The song ‘Kanmani’ was originally composed by Ilaiyaraaja for the film Gunaa, which starred Kamal Haasan in the lead role. The use of this iconic song in Manjummel Boys without direct authorization from him sparked the controversy.
In summary, Manjummel Boys has not only made waves at the box office but also faced legal hurdles due to the unauthorized use of Ilaiyaraaja’s ‘Kanmani.’ The resolution of this issue with substantial compensation underscores the importance of proper rights acquisition in the film industry.