‘Always respected tradition’, will credit Jr Dagar Bandhu: AR Rahman

NEW DELHI: Music composer A R Rahman on Friday agreed before Supreme Court to give credit to Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar and Ustad N Zahiruddin Dagar, popular as Junior Dagar Bandhu, in his song ‘Vera Raja Veera’ during the pendency of a suit by an heir of the Dagars accusing him of copyright infringement.

Appearing for Rahman, senior advocate A M Singhvi told a three-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant that the composer had always respected tradition and taken the spirit behind the court’s suggestion at the last hearing. Singhvi said Rahman would insert a new credit line for the song to be displayed every time it was played on OTT or online channels.




The line reads: “Composition inspired by Dagarvani Tradition Dhrupad, first recorded as Shiva Stuti by Late Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad N Zahiruddin Dagar”. Singhvi said the insertion would take four weeks to take effect on all mediums. The bench granted five weeks for the same.

Delhi HC’s Justice Pratibha Singh had asked the credit line ‘Composition based on a Dagarvani Tradition Dhrupad’ be replaced with ‘Composition based on Shiva Stuti by Late Ustad Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar’. This interim direction was set aside by an HC division bench on an appeal filed by Rahman. It was challenged in SC by Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar.

A week back, the bench advised Rahman to acknowledge contributions of legendary Jr Dagar Bandhu’s contribution to the Dhrupad tradition of classical music.

Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar had filed a suit seeking to bar Rahman from using ‘Shiva Stuti’ and said he still held copyright over the composition by his father and his uncle.

Disposing of the appeal, the bench said all contentions of parties would be kept open during the trial of the suit pending before the HC single-judge bench and clarified it had expressed no opinion on the merits of any issue raised in the suit.
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